Where is Shifters headquartered?

Shifters is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. The company has a team of 11-50 people.

What does Shifters do?

Shifters operates in the Robotics / Embodied AI sector. AI-native autonomous ground robotics company building supervised quadrupedal robotic teams for defense, security, and hazardous commercial operations. Shifters develops AI-native supervised autonomous ground robotic teams that enter dangerous environments before humans, extending operator reach, improving situational awareness, and preserving human life in high-risk missions.

When was Shifters founded?

Shifters was founded in 2023. It is based in Washington, D.C., United States.

Who is the CEO of Shifters?

Ofer Ballin is the CEO of Shifters. The company was founded in 2023.

Where is Shifters located?

Shifters is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.

What funding stage is Shifters at?

Shifters is currently at the Seed stage.

How many employees does Shifters have?

Shifters has approximately 11-50 employees.

Shifters

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

AI-native autonomous ground robotics company building supervised quadrupedal robotic teams for defense, security, and hazardous commercial operations. Shifters was founded in 2023. The company is led by Ofer Ballin. Based in Washington, D.C., United States. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $15M. Latest round: Seed. Key investors include Ace Capital Partners (lead), Aurelius Capital Management, Corner Ventures, Arkin Capital, STEP World, Fresh Fund.

Founded: 2023
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
Team size: 11-50
Total funding: $15M

Value proposition

Shifters develops AI-native supervised autonomous ground robotic teams that enter dangerous environments before humans, extending operator reach, improving situational awareness, and preserving human life in high-risk missions.

Products and solutions

TRUST (Tactical Robot for Unmanned Safety & Security Tasks) — family of rugged AI-native autonomous quadruped robots, RITA (Robotic Intent to Action) — AI software stack with locomotion, navigation, perception, and action layers, DIGITAL TWIN — virtual simulation and analysis tool mirroring robots, environments, and missions.

Unique value

"Robots Go First" — coordinated teams of quadrupedal ground robots that can be directed by a single operator, navigate complex/unseen terrain autonomously, and carry mission-configurable payloads via a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA).

Target customer

Defense and national security organizations (U.S. Department of War, Israel Ministry of Defense, IDF, foreign military entities), critical infrastructure operators, industrial inspection companies, mining, agriculture, and search-and-rescue organizations.

Industries served

Defense & National Security, Critical Infrastructure, Industrial Inspection, Mining, Agriculture, Search & Rescue, Emergency Response

Technology advantage

Proprietary AI motion control layer for legged robotics enabling autonomous navigation in complex, unseen environments; supervised autonomy with human-in-the-loop; MOSA-based modular design for payload flexibility; quadrupedal form factor optimized for rubble, tunnels, and GPS-denied environments; Digital Twin for mission simulation.

How they differentiate

Shifters focuses on supervised autonomous TEAMS (multi-robot coordination by a single operator) rather than single-unit robots; emphasizes defense-first GTM with MOSA open architecture; combines AI motion control layer (RITA) with rugged quadruped hardware (TRUST); founded by former Israeli Air Force and IDF personnel with deep operational experience; dual US-Israeli identity for defense market access.

Main competitors

Ghost Robotics, Boston Dynamics, ANYbotics

Key partnerships

Deep Tech Momentum (partnership for advancing autonomous operations), Ace Capital Partners (lead investor), active collaboration with U.S. Army units, Israel Ministry of Defense, and IDF, presenting at Eurosatory 2026 at USA Security and Defense Pavilion (AUSA).

Notable customers

U.S. Army (units), Israel Ministry of Defense, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), foreign defense entities (undisclosed)

Major milestones

Founded 2023, raised $4.8M pre-seed (undisclosed round), completed coordinated robotic entry/navigation demos with defense stakeholders, June 2026: raised $10.2M Seed led by Ace Capital Partners ($15M total), June 2026: unveiled TRUST at Eurosatory 2026 (USA Security and Defense Pavilion), transitioning to full-scale manufacturing.

Growth metrics

20 employees (as of June 2026); 1,534 LinkedIn followers; completed coordinated robotic entry demonstrations with defense and security stakeholders; transitioning from R&D to commercial deployment; TRUST at TRL 8-9 by end of 2026.

Market positioning

Early-stage deep-tech startup positioned at the intersection of AI autonomy and ground robotics for defense, competing with established players like Ghost Robotics and Boston Dynamics while focusing on multi-robot team coordination and supervised autonomy for high-risk military and industrial missions.

Geographic focus

United States, Israel, Middle East, Europe

About Ofer Ballin

Ex-Israel Defense Forces Team Commander; Israeli Air Force Officer; former roles at MegaTherapy.io and Kaltura

Official website: https://www.shiftersai.com