Shield AI Raises $1.5B, $12.7B After Air Force
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Shield AI raised $1.5 billion in a Series G round, valuing the company at $12.7 billion post‑money.
- Advent led the round alongside a JPMorgan Chase investment group.
- Shield AI sold $500 million of preferred shares to Blackstone‑managed funds and secured a $250 million loan.
- Shield AI is using the capital to acquire flight‑simulation firm Aechelon Technology, though terms were not disclosed.
- Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software was selected in February for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone prototype program.
- Shield AI’s software will also be integrated with competitor Anduril’s “Fury” autonomous fighter jet, reflecting the Air Force’s desire for multiple vendors.
Why it matters: The influx of capital and the Air Force contract give Shield AI a decisive edge in the defense AI market, enabling rapid expansion and the acquisition of Aechelon, while competitors like Anduril must share the pipeline, limiting vendor lock‑in in the upcoming procurement cycles.
