38. Shield AI

Founders: Ryan Tseng, Brandon Tseng, Andrew ReiterCEO: Gary SteeleLaunched: 2015Headquarters: San Diego, CaliforniaFunding: $1.2 billionValuation: $5.3 billionKey Technologies: Artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, edge computing, machine learning, roboticsIndustry: DefensePrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 list: 0
Shield AI could change the way warfare is conducted by enabling autonomous AI systems to fly drones and aircraft.
Shield AI's core technology, called Hivemind, is an AI pilot software. Shield AI has deployed it in drones, including the V-BAT, which has been used in the Russia-Ukraine war, and Nova quadcopters. Hivemind has also been tested in fighter jets. The key advantage of such systems is that they can operate in areas where there is no communication or GPS, including on the battlefield. In Ukraine, for instance, the V-BAT has been used for long-range missions like targeting Russian surface-to-air missiles.
"Hivemind is an homage to one of my favorite video games – StarCraft. It's a sci-fi real-time strategy game. Hivemind is self-driving technology for aircraft," Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng said in an interview with The War Zone.
Pilotless fighter planes no longer seem a pipedream. But in the near future, Shield AI is most likely to establish a sales pipeline among defense companies that require battlefield or advanced intelligence and reconnaissance. Drones are especially good at that.
A former Navy Seal, Tseng founded Shield AI with his brother, Ryan, an entrepreneur. Autonomy expert Andrew Reiter joined as co-founder. In May 2025, Shield AI named a new CEO, tech entrepreneur Gary Steele, who had formerly led analytics company Splunk before selling it to Cisco. Steele has experience in enterprise sales and partnerships.
Shield is one of several companies bringing AI and autonomy into warfare to make the 2025 Disruptor 50 list, including the much larger company Anduril, this year's No. 1 Disruptor. Shield AI is backed by a16z, Riot Ventures and the US Innovative Technology Fund.
AI technology in warfare raises concerns among ethicists, who question whether the decisions to use lethal force should be made in contexts where humans cannot intervene. Shield AI has responded by pointing out that recent advances in autonomous warfare are part of a continuum that began with unguided bombs. "Wishing these algorithmic capabilities away in the name of ensuring more human control is akin to removing the laser guidance kit from a Hellfire missile and demanding that the pilot provide all the aiming – the operator's toolkit is just poorer, and civilians are likely to pay the price," the company wrote in a blog post.
Shield AI has established a recent trio of important partnerships and expanded its global presence. In December, it partnered with defense giant Palantir Technologies to integrate its Hivemind system with Palantir's operating system, which in turn enables other defense contractors to produce arms, faster. Last November, Shield AI partnered with Indian conglomerate JSW Group to establish a facility in India for V-BAT manufacturing. And last May, Shield AI expanded into Australia through its acquisition of Sentient Vision Systems, opening a new office in Melbourne.

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