Shield AI

Shield AI is an American defense technology company founded in 2015 by former Navy SEAL Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter with a mission to protect service members and civilians through intelligent, autonomous systems. The company was built around a core insight shaped by real combat experience: future conflicts will increasingly depend on software-driven autonomy capable of operating in environments where GPS, communications, and human operators are unreliable, degraded, or unavailable. Today, Shield AI is focused on building the autonomy layer for modern defense systems, enabling aircraft and drones to navigate, make decisions, and execute missions with increasing levels of independence in contested environments. At the center of the company’s platform is Hivemind, an AI-powered autonomy software stack that allows aircraft to operate without GPS, communications links, or human intervention. Shield AI increasingly positions Hivemind as an “AI pilot” that can be deployed across a wide range of military platforms rather than a capability tied to any single aircraft. The software has been integrated into multiple systems, including F-16 fighter jets, Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ, and the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, where Shield AI was selected as a mission autonomy provider. The company has also expanded Hivemind Enterprise, a developer platform designed to accelerate autonomy development across government and industry partners. Alongside its software business, Shield AI develops hardware platforms including the V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone, which has seen operational deployment in contested environments such as Ukraine. In April 2026, the U.S. Navy selected Shield AI to compete for up to $800 million in contractor-operated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services utilizing the V-BAT platform. The company is also advancing the X-BAT, an AI-piloted VTOL aircraft designed for a 2,000-nautical-mile range and runway-independent deployment, with initial flight demonstrations expected in 2026. Financially, Shield AI has scaled rapidly alongside growing demand for autonomous defense capabilities. In March 2026, the company completed a $2 billion Series G and preferred equity financing that valued the business at approximately $12.7 billion post-money. The round was co-led by Advent International and JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment Group, with additional participation from Blackstone-managed funds and other institutional investors. The company is projecting revenue of more than $540 million in 2026 as adoption expands across U.S. and allied defense programs. Operationally, Shield AI has established deep relationships with the U.S. Department of Defense and international partners while continuing to expand the capabilities of its autonomy platform. A major step in this strategy was the acquisition of simulation software company Aechelon, whose technology powers some of the military’s most advanced training and testing environments. The acquisition strengthens Shield AI’s ability to train, validate, and improve autonomous systems in high-fidelity virtual environments, including the Pentagon’s Joint Simulation Environment. Management has indicated that these simulation capabilities will play an important role in advancing its Hivemind Foundation Model for Defense, a long-term effort to develop increasingly capable autonomous systems trained through a combination of simulation and real-world operations. The company has also expanded internationally, including a recent partnership in Taiwan aimed at accelerating local AI pilot development and autonomous defense capabilities. In early 2026, former Splunk CEO Gary Steele assumed the role of CEO to lead Shield AI’s next phase of growth and global expansion. From an investment perspective, Shield AI represents one of the leading companies operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence, aerospace, and national security. As defense priorities increasingly shift toward autonomous systems, software-defined warfare, and scalable airpower, many investors view autonomy software as a potentially larger long-term opportunity than any individual aircraft platform. Shield AI’s strategy is centered on becoming the software layer that enables a broad range of military systems to operate independently in contested environments. While the autonomous defense sector remains relatively early and large-scale adoption is still developing, the company’s combination of software, hardware, simulation, and growing defense relationships has positioned it as a significant participant in one of the fastest-growing segments of modern defense technology. Terms: Valuation: $12.7B post-money valuation (same as most recent round), common shares. 9% upfront, no ongoing management fee, 15% carry. Custom terms available for investors considering $100K+, $1M+, and $5M+ Investment Memo – Detailed thesis and strategic deep dive.