Shield AI is a leading U.S. defense technology company specializing in AI-powered autonomy for military aircraft, drones, and robotic systems. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Diego, California, Shield AI’s mission is to protect service members and civilians by enabling intelligent machines to operate effectively in contested and denied environments. The company’s flagship Hivemind autonomy stack allows unmanned systems to execute complex missions without GPS, communications, or direct human control, supporting operations ranging from reconnaissance to tactical air combat. Shield AI’s solutions are deployed with U.S. and allied forces worldwide, including active conflict zones such as Ukraine and Israel.
Leadership
Gary Steele, CEO
Appointed CEO in May 2025, Gary Steele brings over 30 years of experience scaling global technology companies. He was previously CEO of Splunk, leading it through significant growth and a $28 billion acquisition by Cisco, and was the founding CEO of Proofpoint, taking it public and through its acquisition by Thoma Bravo.
Ryan Tseng, Co-Founder & President
Co-founded Shield AI and served as CEO for a decade before transitioning to President in 2025. Tseng now focuses on senior engagement with U.S. and international defense leaders and industry partners.
Brandon Tseng, Co-Founder
Former Navy SEAL officer whose combat experiences inspired the founding of Shield AI. Focuses on product vision and mission alignment.
Andrew Reiter, Co-Founder
Technical co-founder with deep expertise in robotics, perception, and AI systems.
The leadership team includes defense, engineering, and technology veterans from organizations such as Splunk, Proofpoint, and the U.S. military.
Core Technologies
Hivemind Enterprise: An AI-powered, modular autonomy software platform for rapid development and deployment to intelligent machines. Hivemind enables unmanned aircraft and drones to operate autonomously in GPS- and comms-denied environments, supporting mission planning, navigation, object tracking, behavior and motion planning, and real-time adaptation across multiple domains.
EdgeOS: An industrial-grade autonomy operating system providing low-latency, resilient, and extensible middleware for diverse compute environments. EdgeOS is designed for rapid development and robust deployment in harsh real-world conditions.
Pilot: A suite of pre-built autonomy behaviors and reference pilots for state estimation, mapping, sensing, object tracking, and mission planning, accelerating the deployment of new autonomous capabilities.
Forge: A unified suite for designing, testing, and analyzing autonomous machines, featuring generative AI capabilities and platform-agnostic deployment for fast, iterative development.
Commander: Integration layer for seamless connection of Hivemind-enabled machines with any command & control or fleet management system.
Aircraft Platforms: Shield AI develops and manufactures advanced unmanned systems, including:
V-BAT: Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone for ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and tactical missions.
Nova: Autonomous quadcopter for indoor and close-quarters operations.
ViDAR: Maritime ISR platform, acquired with Sentient Vision Systems.
Key Capabilities
Autonomous Mission Execution: Enables drones and aircraft to perform complex missions—such as reconnaissance, air combat, and ISR—without GPS or communications, even in highly contested environments.
Rapid Development and Customization: Modular, extensible autonomy stack allows rapid adaptation to new platforms and requirements, empowering lean development teams to deploy advanced autonomy quickly.
Integration with Third-Party Platforms: Hivemind can be licensed and integrated into both Shield AI’s own aircraft and third-party systems, supporting a wide range of defense and security applications.
Real-World Combat Proven: Shield AI’s systems are deployed with U.S. and allied forces, including in Ukraine and Israel, where they have demonstrated effectiveness in GPS-jammed and denied environments.
Scalable Production: Manufacturing and R&D facilities in the U.S. and Australia enable large-scale production and rapid deployment of autonomous systems.
Investors
Total Funding: Over $1.3 billion raised as of April 2025.
Recent Funding: In 2025, Shield AI targeted a $200 million round, aiming for a $5 billion valuation, with participation from Palantir, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Andreessen Horowitz, Point72, Riot Ventures, and L3Harris.
Previous Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Breyer Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, and others.
Valuation: Approximately $5 billion as of early 2025.
Company Type: Private.
Notable Clients
U.S. Department of Defense: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Special Operations Command, Defense Innovation Unit.
Ukrainian Armed Forces: V-BAT and Nova deployed for ISR and combat operations in Ukraine.
Israeli Defense Forces: Nova quadcopters used in close-quarter and hostage rescue operations.
Platform Manufacturers & Defense Contractors: Partnerships with L3Harris, Kratos, and others for integration of Hivemind autonomy into third-party platforms.
International Governments: Sovereign autonomy buyers and engineering services for allied nations.
