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Valuation
$12.7B
+140% from Mar 2025
Total Raised
~$2.95B
Across 10 priced events
Employees
~1,200
Up from ~900 in Apr 2025
Est. 2025 Revenue
~$300M
Targeting $540M+ FY2026
Total raised: ~$2.95B · Latest valuation: $12.7B
| Round | Date | Amount | Valuation | Key Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 2015 | $0.1M | - | HomebrewFounders Collectivefriends + family |
| Series A | 2017 | $10.5M | - | |
| Series B | 2018 | $15M | - | |
| Series C | 2020 | $90M | - | |
| Series D | 2021 | $210M | $1B+ | DisruptiveAndreessen Horowitz |
| Series E | Jun 2022 | $165M | $2.3B | Snowpoint VenturesRiot VenturesDisruptiveHomebrew |
| Series F | Nov 2023 | $200M | $2.7B | |
| Series F Extension | Dec 2023 | $300M | $2.8B | Hercules Capital (debt) |
| Series F-1 Strategic | Mar 2025 | $240M | $5.3B | L3HarrisHanwha Asset ManagementAndreessen Horowitz |
| Series G | Mar 2026 | $1.5B | $12.7B | Advent InternationalJPMorgan SRIBlackstone (preferred equity) |
| System | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hivemind | AI pilot autonomy stack | Production (V-BAT, F-16 VENOM-AT, X-BAT) |
| V-BAT | Group 3 VTOL UAS | Production (USMC, USCG, RNLN, Ukraine) |
| X-BAT | Autonomous VTOL fighter jet | Development (engine fire-test 2025) |
| Nova 2 | Indoor autonomous quadcopter | Production (DoD, allies) |
| ViDAR (Sentient) | AI wide-area motion imagery | Production |
VENOM-AT autonomy on F-16; X-BAT pitched as CCA candidate
V-BAT in active service
V-BAT bid for up-to-$800M ISR contract (Apr 2026)
V-BAT IOC declared Mar 2026
Series F-1 strategic investor; mission-autonomy collaboration
Series F-1; Korea/Asia integration
F110-GE-129 turbofan for X-BAT
Brandon Tseng (USN SEAL), Ryan Tseng, Andrew Reiter launch Shield AI
Special Operations Command (SOCOM) begins fielding Nova quadcopter
Acquires AlphaDogfight winner Heron Systems for AI air-combat capabilities
Group 3 VTOL UAS enters Marine Corps inventory
Australia-based ViDAR maker acquired; establishes Shield AI Australia
Hivemind selected for Air Force VENOM-AT autonomy testbed on F-16s at Eglin
On-the-ground Ukraine R&D for V-BAT optimization
$240M strategic round with L3Harris and Hanwha
Gary Steele appointed CEO; Ryan Tseng becomes Chief Strategy Officer
Autonomous VTOL fighter jet revealed; Kansas flight-test facility announced
GE Aerospace selected as X-BAT propulsion partner
Royal Netherlands Navy declares V-BAT operational on HNLMS Johan de Witt
$1.5B Series G at $12.7B (Advent, JPMorgan); $500M Blackstone preferred; acquires simulation firm Aechelon
Founded 2015. AI pilot software (Hivemind) for autonomous flight. V-BAT VTOL UAS in service with USMC + USAF SOCOM + Coast Guard. Hivemind enables autonomous F-16 flight (VENOM-AFT program 2024-2025) and CCA pilot software. Series F-3 $240M at $5.3B valuation Mar 2025. Shield AI was founded in 2015, is headquartered in San Diego, CA and employs ~1,200.
Shield AI has raised ~$2.95B in total at a $12.7B valuation, based on the funding rounds Sterling tracks.
Sterling groups Shield AI in the Defense sector, alongside Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Anduril Industries (ANDURIL), Kratos Defense (KTOS), AeroVironment (AVAV), Saronic Technologies (SARONIC) and Helsing (HELSING).
If you are researching Shield AI, also look at Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Kratos Defense (KTOS) and AeroVironment (AVAV). You can compare all of them side by side or browse the full Defense sector on Sterling.
