Angling for ways of gathering “actionable intelligence,” as those 3-letter government agencies like to say, is the goal of Raleigh-based DigaForce. And the year-old venture now has a new ally in bringing for force to its efforts.
Military veteran Anthony Pompliano and Mat Cotter, his co-founder, have sold DigaForce to Apex-based Strategic Link Partners, which includes former NCTA President Joan Myers among its founders.
The deal is being announced Thursday. Financial details were not disclosed.
Myers, who served as the second leader of the North Carolina Technology Association, left that job in 2007 and joined SAS. She later went to work for defense contractor Applied Research Associates before leaving that firm recently to launch her own business. Myers is chief operating officer of Strategic Link. Randall Williams is the firm’s president. The firm’s stated aim is to “link” technologies, companies and people by offering ”robust and unique problem solving.”
The acquisition closes what’s been a rapid year of development for DigaForce, which was incorporated just 12 months ago.
Pompliano, who was chief executive officer of DigaForce, says he will “continue to have an active role” going forward as Strategic Link incorporates DigaForce’s technology. What that role will be has yet to be determined.
“We’re still working on the particulars,” Pompliano explained.
So why sell?
Pompliano said Myers and her partners bring expertise and additional resources “to help us accomplish our goals.”
The two companies had worked together in the past, he added, and “our beliefs align with each other.”
Strategic Link plans to leverage its own connections in the defense industry to further develop DigaForce’s capabilities, which it describes as “demographic and psychometric analysis.”
“DigaForce’s capability helps us expand our bench strength and talent pool in the ever-important and expanding area of social media analysis,” Williams said in announcing the deal.
Strategic Link is focused on national security and is seeking to boost intelligence gathering through data analytics, natural language processing and geospatial information.
“We have been fortunate to experience explosive growth over the last 12 months and feel that this acquisition will help us develop capabilities even faster,” Pompliano said in the deal announcement, “Strategic Link Partners’ belief in understanding WHO before WHAT makes this deal a natural fit.”
Pompliano has been an outspoken advocate for the Triangle startup community (as well as military veterans), and he offered his thanks to colleagues for helping his venture mature to the point of acquisition.
“DigaForce’s success to date would not be possible without the help of so many friends and colleagues in the Triangle start-up community,” Pompliano said.
