Shield AI

Shield AI is an American defense technology company founded in San Diego, California, in 2015 by brothers Brandon and Ryan Tseng together with Andrew Reiter. Brandon Tseng, a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, has said his combat experience shaped the company's focus on autonomous systems that can operate without GPS, communications or a pilot's direct control.

What the company builds

Shield AI's main products are the V-BAT, a runway-independent vertical take-off and landing drone it acquired along with Martin UAV in 2021, and Hivemind, the autonomy software stack that flies it. The company has also unveiled the X-BAT, a larger AI-piloted VTOL fighter-class aircraft, and Nova, a small GPS-denied quadcopter. Shield AI's customers include U.S. Special Operations Command, the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, along with a growing number of allied militaries.

Where things stand

Shield AI has raised capital across several rounds, reaching a reported valuation above $12 billion in a 2026 funding round. It opened an office in Kyiv in 2025 to support Ukraine's use of the V-BAT, part of a wider push into export markets alongside its long-standing U.S. government contracts.