Shield AI is an artificial intelligence and autonomy company operating in the field of defense technologies, founded in 2015 by Andrew Reiter, Brandon Tseng, and Ryan Tseng, headquartered in San Diego, California. The company is known for its AI software called Hivemind, developed for autonomous aerial vehicles and flight systems. With offices in countries such as the USA, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and Australia, Shield AI offers AI-powered solutions for military operations to allied nations.

Founding

Shield AI was established to develop autonomous systems for use in military operations. The company's Hivemind software enables fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform missions autonomously. In addition to a $200 million investment received in October 2023, Shield AI received another $240 million in a Series F investment round in March 2025, with the participation of L3Harris, Hanwha Aerospace, Andreessen Horowitz, and other investors. Following this investment, the company's total funding reached $1.3 billion, and its valuation reached $5.3 billion.

Hivemind Autonomy Platform

Hivemind is an AI-based autonomy software developed by Shield AI. This platform is configured to enable air, land, and sea vehicles to perform missions without human intervention. Hivemind can perform functions such as mission planning, environmental sensing, route determination, decision-making, and post-mission analysis. The platform has a robust structure that can operate even in environments where GPS or communication links are lost. Hivemind software is integrated into all systems developed by Shield AI and consists of the following components:

EdgeOS: A low-latency, real-time, modular, and scalable software infrastructure for autonomous systems.

Pilot: An autonomy module that encompasses perceptual and cognitive abilities such as situational awareness, mapping, target tracking, and mission planning.

Forge: A software factory developed for simulation, testing, analysis, and certification processes. It offers developers the ability to rapidly deploy and develop verifiable autonomy solutions.

Commander: The interface and control layer that enables human-machine interaction. It allows operators to plan, monitor, and manage missions.

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V-BAT Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

V-BAT is a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle system with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL^【1】) capabilities from Shield AI. The V-BAT, capable of fully autonomous operation with Hivemind software, can function without GPS and communication links, especially in environments under electronic warfare threat. V-BAT has been developed for use in missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence (ISR), border security, and maritime patrol. The system is configured to perform missions with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electronic warfare equipment, ViDAR sensor, SATCOM connectivity, and various payloads.

The updated V-BAT version introduced in 2025 stands out with a higher level of autonomy and enhanced BLOS ^【2】 capabilities. The system has been deployed on many U.S. Navy ships and adopted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as an intelligence and reconnaissance platform.

ViDAR Observation Pod

ViDAR (Visual Detection and Ranging) is an AI-powered passive surveillance and target detection system developed by Shield AI. Providing wide-area and continuous monitoring, the system is designed for land and sea missions. The ViDAR Pod includes multi-spectral cameras, an integrated processor, and an inertial measurement unit. This allows the system to detect static and moving targets in day and night conditions. Integratable into Group 3 class UAVs, ViDAR offers passive tracking capability as an alternative to radar systems and provides a suitable solution for low-emission operations. Thanks to its advanced analytical capabilities, it can be used in various scenarios, from illegal fishing activities to search and rescue missions.

International Collaborations

Shield AI stands out with its operations in Ukraine. The company's Kyiv-based team has carried out more than 130 missions with V-BAT systems in collaboration with the Unmanned Systems Forces under the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The company also employs Ukrainian veterans as trainers and operational personnel.

In 2025, a cooperation agreement was signed between Shield AI and Airbus U.S. Space & Defense. Within this scope, Shield AI's Hivemind software will be integrated into the MQ-72C Logistics Connector, the unmanned variant of the UH-72 Lakota helicopter, and will be used under the U.S. Marine Corps' Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program.

Technological Developments

In April 2025, Shield AI acquired the "Data Driven Readiness (DDR)" software from Crowdbotics. DDR is a software that analyzes flight data to measure pilot proficiency and is integrated into Shield AI's Hivemind software for autonomy performance evaluations. This acquisition was part of Shield AI's strategy to enhance its post-mission analysis and continuous performance improvement capabilities in autonomous systems.

Future Vision

Shield AI's long-term vision is to ensure that AI-powered autonomous pilots become a fundamental component in future military operations. As stated by Brandon Tseng, one of the company's founders, it is anticipated that in the military of the 2030s, every type of military platform—including aircraft, drones, ships, satellites, and submarines—will be managed by an AI pilot. In this context, the company aims to conduct autonomous operations across all air, sea, and land vehicles, thanks to the modularity and scalability of the Hivemind platform.

In the future, Shield AI continues to focus on the certification, integration, and field testing of autonomy solutions that support human-machine collaboration. Verifying developed systems not only in laboratory and test environments but also in real combat conditions is among the company's operational priorities. The company also plans to develop strategic collaborations with the defense forces of different countries to offer global autonomy solutions and integrate the Hivemind infrastructure into third-party platforms on a broader scale.

Shield AI's forward-looking efforts encompass not only developing new products but also accelerating the learning cycle in existing systems, simplifying user interaction with the systems, and expanding software production lines aimed at delivering operational solutions to the field more quickly. In line with these goals, components such as Forge, Commander, Pilot, and EdgeOS are continuously updated; tighter integrations are being established among artificial intelligence, simulation, testing, and analysis processes.