Open-source intelligence · OSINT

TU:KUE Bilge

Know who sits across the table before you sit down. TU:KUE Bilge researches the companies and people you are about to trade with in the country where you do business, in depth and through open sources, and reports its findings together with their sources.

Reserved for senior members
Local-language research
Source-backed reports

How It Works Membership Requirements

Sample scan · Fictional company

Scan Fictional example

Example Trading GmbHHamburg, Germany

Company registryRecord verified
Sanctions listsNo match
Beneficial ownersTwo-layer structure
Court records1 commercial lawsuit
Local press1 adverse story

Report ready Medium risk

Scroll

Why Bilge

Knowledge before the signature.

In a new market, the most expensive mistake is signing before you know who is across the table. Hidden partners, sanctions links, quietly running lawsuits, a story that only ever made the local press. Most of this sits in open sources, but scattered, and in that country's language.

Hidden partners

Shell companies and intermediate layers registered abroad can hide the real owner at the table.

Sanctions and compliance risk

A single link to a sanctions list can freeze your payments and your reputation overnight.

History that stays local

Lawsuits, insolvencies and scandals often leave a trace only in local records and in the local language.

The name

Like the khagans' counsellor.

Tonyukuk, the great vizier of the Göktürks, counselled four khagans and introduced himself on his inscription as “Bilge Tonyukuk ben özüm”, I, the wise Tonyukuk. The khagans sought his view before every major decision.

TU:KUE Bilge takes on the same role. Before you decide, it puts the whole picture in front of you.

How it works

A clear picture in four steps.

01
Request

You give Bilge the counterparty's name, country and the purpose of the meeting.
02
Scan

Bilge searches open sources in that country's language, from company registries and sanctions lists to court records and the local press.
03
Verification

Findings are checked against more than one source, and the ties between companies and people are mapped.
04
Report

Prioritised findings, each linked to its source, reach you in a private report.

Scope

What does Bilge look at?

Bilge examines the counterparty from eight angles. Each is limited to sources that are public in that country.

Registry
Company and ownership structure
Company registry records, beneficial owners, subsidiaries and shell companies.
Sanctions
Sanctions and compliance
OFAC, EU, UN and UK sanctions lists, politically exposed persons.
Legal
Legal history
Public records of lawsuits, insolvency, enforcement and arbitration.
Press
Press and reputation
Local and international press, trade publications, reputation signals.
Financial
Financial picture
Published financial statements, lien and collateral registers, rating news.
Trade
Trade footprint
Customs and shipment data, public tenders, trade fair and industry records.
Digital
Digital footprint
Domain and web history, how company websites have changed over time.
People
Key people
Public professional history of executives and their links to other companies.

Report

One page, with sources.

Every report opens with an executive summary, ranks risk signals by importance and links each finding to its source. It closes with concrete steps you can take at the table.

This report is an example. The company and findings are fictional.

TU:KUE Bilge Confidential · Sample

CounterpartyExample Trading GmbHHamburg, Germany · Wholesale trade

Purpose of meetingDistribution agreement

Overall riskMedium

Executive summary

Active since 2011, company registry record up to date.
The ownership structure includes an intermediate company registered in Cyprus. The beneficial owner sits on the second layer.
No sanctions list matches. The local press carried a 2024 story about a supply dispute.

Area	Finding	Status	Sources
Company registry	Record verified, share capital €2.5 million	Clear	3
Beneficial owners	Two-layer structure, intermediate company in Limassol	Caution	4
Sanctions	OFAC, EU, UN, UK: no match	Clear	4
Legal history	1 open commercial lawsuit, amount undisclosed	Caution	2
Press	3 local stories, 1 adverse	Caution	7
Trade footprint	41 shipments in the last 24 months, main market Scandinavia	Clear	2

Recommendation

Add a beneficial ownership declaration to the contract and use letters of credit for the first orders.

Who it is for

The quiet adviser of our senior members.

TU:KUE Bilge is reserved for TU:KUE's senior members. They turn to Bilge before they sit down at a table, enter a partnership or approve an investment.

Dubai

Choosing a distributor

Learn who really owns the firm that will carry your products, and what its record is.

Frankfurt

Acquiring a company

See lawsuits, liens and executive ties before an acquisition.

Nairobi

Entering a partnership

Know your partners' sanctions and reputation status before joining a tender consortium.

New York

Meeting an investor

Get to know the fund across the table, its past investments and its reputation, in advance.

Principles

Open sources only.

Open-source intelligence means finding, verifying and making sense of information that anyone can lawfully access. Bilge never steps over that line.

Lawful sources: Only sources that are public and lawfully accessible are used. No intrusion, no covert interception, no unlawfully obtained data.
Commercial purpose: Research serves commercial assessment only. People's private lives are out of scope.
Sources shown: Every finding comes with its source. Information that cannot be verified is clearly marked.
Confidentiality: Your requests and reports are visible only to you. Who researched whom is never shared.
The decision is yours: Bilge presents findings and recommendations. The final decision always rests with the member.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Bilge.

What is TU:KUE Bilge?

TU:KUE Bilge is an open-source intelligence (OSINT) AI built for TU:KUE's senior members. It researches, in depth and through open sources, the companies and people a member is about to trade with in the country where they do business, and reports its findings together with their sources.

What does open-source intelligence (OSINT) mean?

Open-source intelligence means finding, verifying and making sense of information that anyone can lawfully access. Company registries, sanctions lists, court records and the press are among the most important of these sources.

Which sources does Bilge use?

Company registries and beneficial ownership records, the OFAC, EU, UN and UK sanctions lists, public court, insolvency and enforcement records, customs and tender data, domain history, and the local and international press. Research is carried out in that country's language.

Who can use Bilge?

TU:KUE Bilge is available only to TU:KUE's senior members, and membership of TU:KUE is by invitation only.

Does Bilge look into people's private lives?

No. Research serves commercial assessment only and uses only public, lawful sources. People's private lives are out of scope.

Access to Bilge comes with TU:KUE membership.

Membership of TU:KUE comes by invitation, not by application. We identify our members through the Founding Council and the recommendations of existing members, and invite each of them personally.

Membership Requirements

TU:KUE Bilge TUKUE Bilge

Knowledge before the signature.

Hidden partners

Sanctions and compliance risk

History that stays local

Like the khagans' counsellor.

A clear picture in four steps.

Request

Scan

Verification

Report

What does Bilge look at?

Company and ownership structure

Sanctions and compliance

Legal history

Press and reputation

Financial picture

Trade footprint

Digital footprint

Key people