Shield Mission, Purpose & Impact

Shield’s mission is rooted in cofounder Brandon Tseng’s experience as a Navy SEAL. After deploying to Afghanistan and seeing firsthand the risks service members faced while clearing buildings, Tseng began thinking about how artificial intelligence and autonomous systems could reduce those risks. That experience ultimately helped inspire the creation of Shield and its focus on applying autonomous technology to national security. As Tseng told Forbes, “I thought there was a better way to help deter conflict: autonomous systems and the proliferation of drones.”

Today Shield is one of the most valuable defense tech unicorns in the nation, worth $12.7 billion after its most recent fundraising in March. 

Shield employees Shawna Moore, a West Point graduate and former Army officer, and Andrew Cornelius, a Naval Academy graduate and former Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer, share how their military service shaped their decision to join Shield. After deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and other operational environments, both sought opportunities to continue serving through meaningful work. For Moore, that meant joining Shield to help advance Hivemind, the company's AI-powered autonomy technology, which she believes can address critical defense capability gaps in Ukraine. Their experiences reflect Shield AI's mission to protect service members and civilians through intelligent systems, bringing together people with firsthand military experience and a shared commitment to national security.

“Shield’s values and commitment to excellence make me proud to be a part of this team.”

— Shawna Moore, West Point Graduate and Former Army Officer