Shield AI has successfully raised $240 million in an F-1 strategic funding round, securing a valuation of $5.3 billion. The round attracted strategic investment from L3Harris and Hanwha Aerospace, with additional participation from Andreessen Horowitz, U.S. Innovative Technology, and Washington Harbour Partners.
This latest raise marks a significant step forward for Shield AI, enabling the company to accelerate the rollout of Hivemind Enterprise, its AI-powered autonomy development platform.
The funding highlights the growing demand for advanced autonomous technologies across defense and industrial applications. As autonomous systems play an increasing role in modern defense strategies, companies like Shield AI are working to streamline the development and deployment of intelligent machines.
Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and CEO of L3Harris, commented: "The need for advanced autonomy has never been more urgent, and Shield AI is proving that autonomy at scale is not only possible but inevitable."
The newly secured funds will support expanding access to Hivemind Enterprise for OEMs, government agencies, and private sector developers. Shield AI’s goal is to make its autonomy suite the standard toolkit for building and scaling autonomous products across the global defense and robotics industries.
Nathan Michael, Chief Technology Officer at Shield AI, explained: "Developing autonomy is both complex and costly. Hivemind Enterprise solves this widely known problem and enables the rapid and efficient proliferation of resilient, high-performance autonomy for intelligent machines across industrie."
The funding will also help advance product development and expand Shield AI’s presence in key international markets.
Founded in 2015, Shield AI builds autonomous software and hardware solutions designed to support military and civilian applications. The company's technology includes Hivemind Enterprise, a developer platform for building autonomy into intelligent systems, as well as autonomous aircraft platforms like V-BAT.
Shield AI’s Hivemind technology already powers missions for the U.S. military and allied forces, enabling drones, fighter jets, and reconnaissance aircraft to operate even in GPS- and communications-denied environments. The company operates globally with offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington D.C., Abu Dhabi, Kyiv, and Melbourne.
Shield AI’s latest round builds on previous investments from top firms, including Andreessen Horowitz. The addition of L3Harris and Hanwha Aerospace signals growing interest from established defense contractors who see Shield AI’s technology as a key enabler for future autonomous defense systems.
Brandon Tseng, President and Co-Founder of Shield AI, noted: "The same tools that make up Hivemind Enterprise have already enabled Shield AI to autonomously fly F-16s, MQ-20s, MQM-178s, operate V-BATs in GPS- and communications-denied environments, and have quadcopters explore buildings and tunnels for U.S. and Israeli forces."
