Editing Stratfor (section)

==History==

The origin of Stratfor can be traced to the Center for Geopolitical Studies (CGPS) at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]. There, professors [[George Friedman]] and Leonard Hochberg built a team that researched geopolitics, built [[Wargame|wargaming]] simulations, and advised companies on [[Geopolitics|geopolitical]] risks and opportunities.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The company was founded in 1996 and named Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) by lead analyst Matthew S. Baker. It was moved to Austin in August 1997 with seven members of the CGPS team who served as part of the co-founding team along with founder [[George Friedman]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

George served as the head of analysis for the organization, and the business was led by several CEOs in the late 1990s and early 2000s as it refined its offerings. Chip Harmon<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.stratfor.com/horizons/stratfor-appoints-chip-harmon-president-lead-next-phase-growth|title=Stratfor Appoints Chip Harmon as President to Lead Next Phase of Growth|publisher=Stratfor|language=en|access-date=2018-03-01}}</ref> was appointed president in February 2018.

Stratfor was acquired by RANE in 2020. <ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rane-acquires-geopolitical-intelligence-platform-stratfor-300998822.html | title=RANE Acquires Geopolitical Intelligence Platform Stratfor }}</ref>