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Shield AI

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

Defense technology company developing AI-powered autonomy software (Hivemind) and autonomous aircraft systems that enable unmanned platforms to operate independently in GPS- and communications-denied environments. Shield AI was founded in 2015. The company is led by Gary Steele. Based in San Diego, USA. Team size: 1000-1500. Total funding raised: $3.2B+. Latest round: Series G. Key investors include ["Founders Fund","Andreessen Horowitz","U.S. Innovative Technology Fund (Thomas Tull)","Point72 Ventures","Snowpoint Ventures","Riot Ventures","L3Harris Technologies","Hanwha Aerospace","Advent International","JPMorgan Chase Strategic Investment Group","Blackstone"].

Founded
2015
Headquarters
San Diego, USA
Team size
1000-1500
Total funding
$3.2B+

Value proposition

Enables unmanned systems to execute complex autonomous missions in GPS-denied and communications-contested environments where human operators cannot function, providing tactical superiority in electronic warfare scenarios while reducing risk to service members

Products and solutions

["Hivemind Enterprise - EdgeOS (middleware framework)","Hivemind Enterprise - Pilot (autonomy reference architecture)","Hivemind Enterprise - Commander (human-machine interface systems)","Hivemind Enterprise - Forge (development and testing tools)","V-BAT MQ-35 - VTOL unmanned aircraft system","X-BAT - Extended-range aircraft platform","Nova 2 - Autonomous quadcopter for indoor operations","ViDAR - Wide-area motion imaging and tracking","Sentient Vision Systems - ISR sensing technologies"]

Unique value

First AI pilot system deployed in combat (2018 Nova deployment with special operations forces); Hivemind autonomy software enables fully autonomous operation without GPS, communications, or remote piloting; has beaten human F-16 pilots in dogfighting simulations; demonstrated rapid 2-3 month integration on multiple aircraft platforms including Airbus DT25, Destinus Hornet, and Northrop Grumman Talon IQ

Target customer

U.S. Department of Defense, allied military forces, defense prime contractors (Boeing, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, General Atomics), international defense organizations

Industries served

["Defense and Military","Aerospace and Aviation","Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy","Unmanned Systems","Electronic Warfare"]

Technology advantage

Platform-agnostic modular architecture compliant with Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) standards; processes sensor data in real-time to make tactical decisions; enables multi-platform swarming with read-and-react capabilities; provides sovereign development allowing customers to retain full IP rights to their autonomy solutions; proven in electronic warfare environments

How they differentiate

First AI pilot system deployed in combat (2018); Hivemind autonomy software enables fully autonomous operation in GPS-denied and communications-contested environments without remote piloting; Platform-agnostic modular architecture compliant with Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) standards; Rapid 2-3 month integration on multiple aircraft platforms; Has beaten human F-16 pilots in dogfighting simulations

Main competitors

["Anduril Industries","Skydio","AeroVironment"]

Key partnerships

["U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program - Selected as mission autonomy provider","U.S. Navy and Marine Corps - Operational deployments","Indian Army - V-BAT and Hivemind systems contract","Boeing - Strategic collaboration MOU for autonomous capabilities","Northrop Grumman - Talon IQ integration, FTUAS competition teaming","L3Harris - Strategic investor, DiSCO electronic warfare integration","General Atomics - MQ-20 Avenger integration","Airbus - H145 helicopter and DT25 drone integration","Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - Hivemind Enterprise collaboration","Korea Aerospace Industries - Hivemind Enterprise partnership","Booz Allen Hamilton - Enterprise autonomy platform deployment","Destinus - Hornet UAS integration (2-month integration)","HII - Cross-domain maritime autonomy solutions"]

Notable customers

["U.S. Department of Defense","U.S. Air Force (Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program)","U.S. Navy","U.S. Marine Corps","U.S. Coast Guard ($198M contract)","U.S. Special Operations Command","Indian Army","Romanian Navy","Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force","Netherlands Ministry of Defence","Boeing","Northrop Grumman","L3Harris","General Atomics","Airbus"]

Major milestones

["First AI pilot deployed in combat operations (2018)","Selected as mission autonomy provider for U.S. Air Force CCA program alongside Anduril's Fury fighter jet (2026)","Reached $267M ARR in 2024 with 64% YoY growth","U.S. Coast Guard awarded $198M contract for V-BAT maritime services (2024)","Valuation increased from $5.3B to $12.7B in one year (140% growth)","Integrated Hivemind on multiple platforms: Kratos BQM-177A, Airbus H145, General Atomics MQ-20","International expansion with contracts in Romania, Japan, Greece, Canada, Netherlands","Acquired Aechelon Technology (simulation company) and DDR software assets from Crowdbotics (2025-2026)"]

Growth metrics

$267M ARR in 2024 (64% YoY growth); 1,000-1,500 employees; Over half of 2025 business from international contracts

Market positioning

Second most valuable defense tech startup in the US after Anduril ($12.7B valuation vs Anduril's $14-60B depending on source); Positioned as leading provider of AI autonomy software for military aviation; Selected as mission autonomy provider for U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program

Geographic focus

United States (primary), expanding to NATO allies (Romania, Greece, Netherlands), Japan, Canada, India, and allied nations in Europe and Asia-Pacific

Patents and IP

Proprietary algorithms and intellectual property in autonomy software (core reference implementation IP); acquired Data Driven Readiness (DDR) software assets from Crowdbotics (April 2025); acquired Aechelon flight simulation company (March 2026) for synthetic training data to improve Hivemind across new aircraft types

About Gary Steele

Gary Steele is a veteran technology executive with over 30 years of experience scaling global technology enterprises. Prior to being appointed CEO of Shield AI in May 2025, he served as the President of Go-to-Market at Cisco following its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk, where he was the CEO from 2022 to 2024. He was the founding CEO of Proofpoint (2002-2021), which he led from its early stages through a successful IPO to a $12 billion valuation. His earlier career includes leadership roles at Sybase, Sun Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard.

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