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Eindhoven-based company Datenna joined the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) on 24 July 2026, a US umbrella organisation that connects government agencies and private companies in the field of intelligence and national security. With this membership, Datenna positions itself within a network of defence institutions, intelligence services and technology companies that is active in the US and with allied governments.
Datenna was founded in Eindhoven in 2017 and builds open-source intelligence on Chinese companies and their ties to the Chinese government. The platform combines AI with data from Chinese sources to provide insight into the ownership structures, state participations and technological capabilities of Chinese enterprises. This information is used by governments, defence agencies and private organisations seeking to assess risks in supply chains or investments.
The INSA membership aligns with a growing demand among Western governments for reliable, structured data on China's technology development. For Datenna, joining this network represents a formal position within a community that has direct ties to US and allied intelligence and security structures.
The Intelligence and National Security Alliance is a non-profit organisation based in the United States, established to promote collaboration between the public and private sectors in the field of national security and intelligence. Its members include major US defence and technology companies, as well as specialised data and analytics firms serving government clients.
The organisation facilitates consultation, knowledge sharing and policy advice aimed at the intelligence community. In practice, membership serves as a recognition that a company is active in the security and intelligence domain and meets the standards that network expects. For a European company like Datenna, joining also sends a signal to potential clients and partners in the US and among other NATO allies.
Datenna focuses specifically on mapping Chinese companies and their relationships with the Chinese state. Through its own platform, data from Chinese registrations, government documents and other open sources is combined and analysed using AI. The result is insight into which companies have ties to the Chinese government or military, something that is becoming increasingly relevant for Western governments and businesses in the context of procurement, investment decisions and export controls.
Demand for this type of insight has grown in recent years, driven in part by tightened regulations around foreign investment and technology transfer in both the US and the EU. The European Commission as well as individual member states have introduced measures to more rigorously screen investments from third countries, including China. Datenna's data aligns with the information needs that arise during such screening processes.
Datenna is one of the few European, and certainly Dutch, companies actively operating at the intersection of open-source intelligence, AI and geopolitical risk analysis. Joining INSA places the Eindhoven-based company within a US-dominated network that has until now consisted primarily of domestic players.
For other Dutch and European founders working on security technology or dual-use applications, this illustrates how admission to established alliances works: through a combination of specialised data, demonstrable relevance to government audiences and a sustained track record. Investors and policymakers looking at the growing market for strategic technology intelligence will see in this membership a Dutch player building a position on the US and allied demand side of that segment.
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