In 2025, Shield AI has achieved a valuation of $5.6 billion, marking its rise as a prominent defense startup, closely following Anduril Industries. The company, based in San Diego, has successfully conducted over 35 missions and identified more than 200 Russian targets with its V-BAT drone amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This follows an earlier incident in April when Russian forces targeted a facility in Kyiv where Shield AI had recently conducted research, although no employees were harmed due to timely relocation efforts by managing director James Lythgoe.
As Shield AI expands its operations, U.S. government contractors have begun testing the company's autonomous aircraft software system, Hivemind, with their experimental military aircraft. Additionally, international partners, including Romania, Indonesia, and Japan, have acquired the company’s surveillance drones. Seeking to capitalize on this momentum, Shield AI is developing a new autonomous fighter jet named the X-BAT and has appointed a new CEO, Gary Steele, in May, who is expected to drive the company’s growth in the tech sector.