Shield retweeted
Excited to announce that @shieldaitech is now valued at $28B, a 10x increase since 2024, and also expanding into high performance affordable radar for counter UAS and low-cost missile seekers.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Shield retweeted
Shield AI acquires radar firm Echodyne in $5.3B deal breakingdefense.com/2026/11/…
Shield is acquiring Echodyne to expand our Mission Systems business with software-defined radars, engineering expertise and manufacturing capacity.
The $5.3B transaction is supported by a $2.5B raise, including Series H funding at a $28.8B valuation, and will accelerate our efforts to meet growing demand for multi-mission capabilities.
Echodyne’s industry-leading technology is used in hundreds of counter-drone and security systems worldwide, where it helps track drones, secure airspace, and protect people and infrastructure.
Full release: bit.ly/4iYGLWc
Funding includes a structured equity investment from @Blackstone and a Series H co-led by @disruptivetech and Innovation X Capital, with participation from @adventintl, the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase's Security and Resiliency Initiative, @SnowpointVC, Apandion, Center15 Capital, and others.
Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.
Shield retweeted
Exclusive: Shield AI is rocketing to a $28.8 billion valuation with new funding for its latest acquisition.
The defense tech startup is buying radar company Echodyne for $5.3 billion. Shield is raising $2.5 billion for the effort, including $1 billion in Series H funding.👇
Shield retweeted
First X-BAT autonomous fighter jet prototype unveiled as Shield AI preps Seattle factory for 2027 launch geekwire.com/2026/first-x-ba…
Shield retweeted
Shield AI cofounder teases ‘snowball’ of X-BAT fighter drone announcements in Europe breakingdefense.com/2026/11/…
Shield retweeted
Shield AI has shown off the first prototype of its X-Bat tail-sitting, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) autonomous combat aircraft and plans a first flight before year’s end.
aviationweek.com/defense/air…
Shield retweeted
Shield AI Reveals X-BAT 001 Autonomous Fighter with Redesigned Air Intake and Installed Engine Ahead of Flight Tests
ALT https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2026/shield-ai-reveals-x-bat-001-autonomous-fighter-with-redesigned-air-intake-and-installed-engine-ahead-of-flight-tests
Bloomberg Tech London got the first look at X-BAT 001.
@garylsteele took the stage with @tsgiles to talk about scaling fast while keeping autonomy safe. They covered X-BAT's next steps, in-country capability with European partners, and what it means to keep humans in command of autonomous systems.
Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.
Photos: @BloombergLive
X-BAT. One year from reveal to first full-scale prototype.
Our autonomous VTOL fighter jet now moves into tests to prove vertical takeoff and landing, with the goal of giving U.S. and allied forces more places to operate without a runway.
@RocketArmor, our SVP of Aircraft Engineering, shares how our team met that timeline and what comes next, from engine runs to flight tests.
Full blog: bit.ly/4iWZEJ7
Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.
Welcome to Ambassador (ret.) Julie Davis, our new Vice President for European Government Relations!
Julie brings over three decades of diplomatic and national security leadership across multiple U.S. administrations, with senior roles spanning Ukraine, NATO, and the European Union.
“Europe’s security requires trusted partnerships and capabilities under sovereign control. Shield brings both, and I look forward to working with government, armed forces and industry leaders to put the necessary capabilities in the hands of those committed to Europe’s defense,” said Julie.
Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.
Shield retweeted
🦇👀
Prototype X-BAT VTOL ‘Fighter’ Drone Unveiled
We are finally getting our first look at Shield AI's extremely ambitious tail-sitting X-BAT multi-role combat drone.
twz.com/news-features/x-bat-…
Shield retweeted
Prototype X-BAT VTOL ‘Fighter’ Drone Unveiled
We are finally getting our first look at Shield AI's extremely ambitious tail-sitting X-BAT multi-role combat drone.
twz.com/news-features/x-bat-…
Shield retweeted
“There is a tremendous amount of capital, private capital, that is being put to work towards these problems.”
@shieldaitech CEO Gary Steele speaks with @business’s @tsgiles on how private investment is closing the gap in modern drone warfare. #BloombergTech
Watch the conversation here⏯️
bloom.bg/4zh4tSN
Shield retweeted
2019 20 Twenties winner Akshay Kadhiresan went from F-35 engineer to building autonomous military AI at Shield AI—and briefing four-star generals along the way.
🏆 Learn more about Akshay's story since winning the 20 Twenties seven years ago. aviationweek.com/defense/20-…
#20Twenties #STEM @shieldaitech
Shield retweeted
The 2026 American Dynamism 50 is here: our annual list of 50 companies, from within the a16z portfolio and beyond, building for America's future.
This year's theme is Production is Deterrence. "America's ability to prevent conflict depends on what it can build, how fast it can deliver, and how long it can keep going."
A new generation of defense companies is moving from prototypes to full-scale production, and the industrial base has to keep pace. This year's list is organized around three pillars:
1. Systems: the drones, ships, missiles, aircraft, and spacecraft that deter conflict.
2. Factories: the plants, tools, and software that build them.
3. Inputs: the materials and power they're made of and run on.
Get all three right, and the impact reaches well beyond defense, to skilled jobs, revitalized communities, and the supply chains behind energy, housing, and everyday goods.
Meet all 50: a16z.news/p/ad-50-2026-produ…
Autonomy software is never finished. Threats change, and so do missions.
We signed an agreement with @Leonardo_live to expand autonomy on the Proteus uncrewed helicopter with Hivemind Enterprise. Missions include ISR, submarine hunting, and cargo runs in contested areas. Their team builds, tests, and updates the software as environments evolve.
Full release: bit.ly/4iMmEug
Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.
Readiness starts with rehearsal.
This year we brought Aechelon into Shield. Its simulation platform is used across the U.S. and allied militaries, giving human and autonomous pilots one environment to train for the same mission without putting lives on the line.
In @NationalDefense, our president and co-founder @brandontseng2 explains how simulation closes a critical gap for military training: bit.ly/4zYabth
Continue the conversation with us at @iitsec in Orlando, Booth 1301.
Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.
