Shield AI logo

Shield AI

Challenger

Defense AI company building autonomous drones and AI pilots. $12.7B valuation after $2B Series G (2026). ~$300M 2025 rev. Founded 2015, San Diego. Private.

Best for: Defense & Autonomous Systems
68
AI Score
Grade B↑ Trending
AI Visibility Score (Beta)
Government, Defense & NonprofitDefense & Autonomous SystemsWebsiteUpdated April 2026

Brand Intelligence Graph

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Capabilities
Defense & Autonomous Systems

Company Overview

About Shield AI

Shield AI is an American aerospace and defense technology company founded in 2015 by former Navy SEAL Brandon Tseng, his brother Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Shield AI develops AI-powered autonomous systems for military and defense applications. Its core products include the Hivemind autonomy software platform, the V-BAT vertical take-off and landing drone, and the X-BAT — the world's first AI-piloted VTOL fighter jet with a 2,000 nautical mile range.

Business Model & Competitive Advantage

Shield AI's business model centers on its Hivemind software platform, which enables aircraft and drones to execute autonomous missions in GPS-denied and communications-degraded environments without remote pilots. Hivemind accounted for approximately 30% of revenue in 2025, with a target of 50% software revenue by 2028. The company competes in the rapidly growing defense autonomy market alongside Anduril, Skydio, and traditional defense primes.

Competitive Landscape 2025–2026

In March 2026, Shield AI raised $2 billion in Series G funding led by Advent and JPMorgan, with Blackstone contributing $500M in preferred shares, valuing the company at $12.7 billion. Revenue reached approximately $300M in 2025, with projections exceeding $540M for 2026 (80%+ growth). Gary Steele was appointed as the new CEO in late 2025, signaling potential IPO readiness.

Founded
2015
Curated content • Fact-checked and verified

Recent Activity

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Shield AI expands Hivemind maritime autonomy in Taiwan with Thunder Tiger partnership

TAIPEI (May 13, 2026) – Shield AI, the defense-tech company building the world’s best AI pilots and next-generation aircraft, and Thunder Tiger Corp., one of Taiwan’s leading manufacturers of unmanned surface and aerial systems, announced today a memorandum of understanding to integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software across Thunder Tiger’s unmanned systems portfolio, beginning with […]

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Supporting Japan’s Evolving Autonomy Needs with Unprecedented Speed
10-Q
10-Q — 10-Q

Quarterly Report filed 2026-05-01

8-K
8-K — 8-K

Material Event filed 2026-05-01

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Shield AI deepens India presence with New Delhi office and planned Bengaluru expansion

NEW DELHI (April 30, 2026) – Shield AI announced today the opening of an office in New Delhi to support its growing partnership and advance work with the Indian Ministry of Defence and its industry ecosystem. The latest milestone deepens the company’s long-term commitment to India. The opening was announced during a high-level visit to […]

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Shield AI selected by U.S. Navy to compete for $800M in ISR services with V-BAT

WASHINGTON — (April 20, 2026) — Shield AI announced today its selection by the United States Navy to provide contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services in support of naval and joint force operations. Under the Navy’s initiative to expand and modernize ISR capabilities, Shield AI will compete for up to $800 million in task orders alongside […]

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Airbus and Lakota Connector partners successfully execute fourth autonomous flight test period

WASHINGTON – (March 30, 2026) – Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, in partnership with Shield AI, L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX), and Parry Labs, completed its fourth autonomous flight test period on the H145 Airbus helicopter and successfully integrated all four company’s technologies into a single aircraft together for the first time. The test flights, which […]

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Royal Netherlands Navy begins V-BAT operations

OSLO – (March 30, 2026) – The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) has declared Shield AI’s V-BAT unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operational following testing aboard the HNLMS Johan de Witt, which was operating off the coast of northern Norway. V-BAT supports the RNLN efforts to increase maritime domain awareness using unmanned systems, with 12 V-BATs being […]

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Shield AI to acquire software simulation company Aechelon and raise $2B at $12.7B valuation

SAN DIEGO – March 26, 2026 – Shield AI today announced it is raising $1.5 billion in Series G funding at a $12.7 billion post-money valuation and $500 million in fixed-return preferred equity financing. The Series G is led by Advent International and co-led by the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase’s Security and Resiliency Initiative, […]

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Shield AI’s Hivemind demonstrates flight on Destinus Hornet in two-month integration

SEGOVIA, Spain (March 24, 2026) – Shield AI and Destinus announced today the successful completion of a rapid autonomy integration campaign on the Destinus Hornet platform. The flight tests, conducted in Segovia, Spain, validated the integration of Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software with the Hornet flight control architecture after a two-month integration effort. During the […]

8-K
8-K — 8-K

Material Event filed 2026-03-24

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Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ flies Shield AI’s Hivemind software

Open‑architecture testbed accelerates AI‑driven combat capability MOJAVE, Calif. (March 19, 2026) – Northrop Grumman’s (NYSE: NOC) Talon IQ™ testbed completed its first partner mission autonomy flight with Shield AI’s Hivemind software, showcasing a ready‑to‑fly platform that accelerates innovation, cuts development costs and eliminates the need to build a dedicated airframe for every new autonomy solution. Partner-Powered Autonomy: During the flight, Shield AI’s Hivemind software successfully commanded the aircraft, executing combat air patrol and target engagement maneuvers. Talon IQ then seamlessly swapped back to Northrop […]

Key Differentiators

Strong Challenger

Shield AI is an established challenger with significant market presence and competitive offerings in Government Tech.

Frequently Asked Questions

Estimated Visibility Trend (Beta)

Simulated 8-week rolling score

68
↑ Trending

Based on estimated brand signals. Historical tracking coming soon.

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