Reveal Imaging, Makers of Airport Screening Technologies, Sold to SAIC

There’s some news on the homeland security front today. Reveal Imaging Technologies, based in Bedford, MA, said it is being acquired by SAIC, the McLean, VA-based government contractor giant also known as Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: [[ticker:SAI]]). Financial terms of the deal weren’t released, but the acquisition is expected to close by the end of this month.

Reveal was founded in 2002 in response to the U.S. government’s mandate for aviation security screening after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The company has developed imaging technologies for screening airport baggage and detecting explosives in checked luggage. The technologies are certified by the Transportation Security Administration and are used in domestic airports as well as abroad. Reveal is backed by venture investors including Brown Brothers Harriman, Flybridge Capital Partners, General Catalyst Partners, and Greylock Partners.

The Bedford firm will join SAIC’s Security and Transportation Technology Business Unit, which is part of the company’s Infrastructure, Energy, Health and Product Solutions Group led by Joe Craver. (Craver’s group also includes R.W. Beck, the Seattle-based consulting firm focused on energy and water management, which SAIC acquired a year ago.) The acquisition of Reveal looks like it will strengthen SAIC in terms of homeland security technologies. SAIC has about 45,000 employees and had revenues of $10.8 billion in its most recent fiscal year.

“SAIC’s world class technical expertise and R&D focus greatly expand our ability to provide leading edge detection solutions for our aviation and facility security customers,” said Michael Ellenbogen, president and CEO of Reveal, in a company statement.

Author: Gregory T. Huang

Greg is a veteran journalist who has covered a wide range of science, technology, and business. As former editor in chief, he overaw daily news, features, and events across Xconomy's national network. Before joining Xconomy, he was a features editor at New Scientist magazine, where he edited and wrote articles on physics, technology, and neuroscience. Previously he was senior writer at Technology Review, where he reported on emerging technologies, R&D, and advances in computing, robotics, and applied physics. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Nature, and The Atlantic Monthly’s website. He was named a New York Times professional fellow in 2003. Greg is the co-author of Guanxi (Simon & Schuster, 2006), about Microsoft in China and the global competition for talent and technology. Before becoming a journalist, he did research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. He has published 20 papers in scientific journals and conferences and spoken on innovation at Adobe, Amazon, eBay, Google, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other organizations. He has a Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.