How we compare
Open HUMINT and operational intelligence firms.
Both work with human intelligence. They answer different questions, in different ways.
01About operational intelligence firms
What they do well.
Corporate intelligence and investigations firms help clients through disputes, due diligence on a counterparty, fraud, asset recovery and security risk. Their work is usually about a third party, and it is usually done confidentially: the client is not named to the people they speak to, and those people's identities are protected.
Competitive intelligence agencies apply a similar discipline to markets and competitors, often through interviews with people who know a competitor well. Practices differ from firm to firm.
This work exists because some knowledge holders will not share willingly. For those situations, it is the right tool.
02Side by side
Where the difference lies.
| Compare | Humint Solutions | Operational intelligence firms |
|---|---|---|
| The question is about | Your own organisation, market or decision | Usually a third party: a counterparty, target or competitor |
| Who we speak to | People close to the problem, often overlooked roles inside and around your organisation | People with access to the third party |
| Do people know why they are asked | Yes. Every participant knows who we are and why we are asking | Not always. The work is confidential by design, to protect the client and the people involved |
| Why people take part | Sharing what they know raises their standing | Varies. The work is designed for people who would not share openly |
| You get | First-hand knowledge, cross-checked, in a written report | Intelligence for a decision, dispute or risk |
Describes the category as a whole, from firms' public materials. Individual firms differ. Last reviewed November 2026.
03Which to call
Each is right for a different question.
Call operational intelligence firms when
- You are in a dispute, an investigation or a fraud case.
- You need discreet due diligence on a counterparty.
- The people who know will not share willingly.
Call us when
- The answer exists in people's heads but was never written down.
- The people who hold it would share, if someone asked them properly.
- You want the findings to be open, attributable and verifiable.
The two rarely compete for the same question. Some clients use an investigations firm for a counterparty and us for the knowledge inside their own organisation.
04Questions
Common questions.
Is Open HUMINT a kind of corporate espionage?
No. Every participant knows who we are and why we are asking, and takes part by choice. We do not use covert sources, surveillance or pretexting.
Can you investigate a competitor or a counterparty?
Not in the investigative sense. We can speak openly with people who see a market from the inside, such as your own sales and service people, partners and customers. For discreet work on a third party, an investigations firm is the right call.
Why does the open approach work?
Because the people we engage gain from sharing. They are asked as experts, often for the first time. A different relationship calls for a different tool.
05More comparisons
How we compare to others.
Not sure which you need?
Tell us the question. We will say honestly if someone else is a better fit.