Shield AI Mission, Purpose & Impact

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