Defense startup Shield AI lands $12.7B valuation, up 140%, after U.S. Air Force deal

In Brief

Autonomous subject craft shaper Shield AI has raised $1.5 cardinal successful Series G backing astatine a $12.7 cardinal post-money valuation, the institution announced connected Tuesday. The woody was led by PE steadfast Advent (which has a $1 cardinal fund to put successful defence tech it says) and a JPMorganChase concern group.

In addition, Shield AI sold $500 cardinal of preferred shares to funds managed by Blackstone (and besides lined up a $250 cardinal indebtedness that it tin gully connected later). This superior is helping Shield get Aechelon Technology, shaper of formation simulation tech utilized to bid U.S. subject pilots. Terms of that acquisition were not disclosed.

The caller circular comes aft Shield raised $240 cardinal astatine a $5.3 cardinal valuation successful March 2025. That means its worth leaped 140% successful 1 year. There’s a bully crushed for that: Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software was selected successful February arsenic a supplier for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone prototype program.

Interestingly, Shield’s bundle was selected to enactment with rival Anduril for its “Fury” autonomous combatant jet. Anduril, of course, has its ain software, called Lattice, to bid its Fury aircraft. But the Air Force intelligibly doesn’t privation to beryllium locked into a azygous vendor for the full stack of its next-gen warfighter drone fleet.

Still, Anduril volition hardly beryllium phased by sharing immoderate of the spoils. It past raised $2.5 cardinal astatine a $30.5 cardinal valuation successful June and connection connected the thoroughfare is that it’s looking to rise up to $8 cardinal astatine $60 cardinal valuation.

Other investors participating successful Shield’s Series G see Snowpoint Ventures, InnovationX, Riot Ventures, Disruptive, Apandion.

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