Gary Steele

Shield AI to acquire Aechelon and raise $2B at $12.7B valuation. We’re accelerating the shift in how defense systems get built: increasingly shaped in software, trained in simulation, and improved through use. Aechelon, a Sagewind portfolio company, is one of the most trusted simulation companies in defense. Their technology is used to model real-world environments and test systems before they fly. Bringing that capability together alongside Hivemind connects how autonomy is trained with how it performs in the field, helping customers move faster and field capability with greater confidence.Shield AI to acquire Aechelon Technology Inc. and raise $2B at $12.7B valuation. We’re accelerating the shift in how defense systems get built: increasingly shaped in software, trained in simulation, and improved through use. Aechelon, a Sagewind Capital portfolio company, is one of the most trusted simulation companies in defense. Their technology is used to model real-world environments and test systems before they fly. Bringing that capability together alongside Hivemind connects how autonomy is trained with how it performs in the field, helping customers move faster and field capability with greater confidence. Read more:  shield.ai/shield-ai-to-a… Led by @adventintl and co-led by JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment Group, with participation from @blackstone, @SnowpointVC, Innovation X Advisors, Riot Ventures, @disruptivetech, Apandion, and others.

“Holy sh*t. Look at this thing!” — @VP @JDVance This thing is V-BAT, our Group 3 unmanned aircraft delivering real mission impact worldwide. From interdicting record drug shipments with the @USCG to being one of the few technologies able to operate in Ukraine’s electronic warfare environment, V-BAT performs where others can’t. Now, Armenia has selected V-BAT for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations as part of its first foreign military sale. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

The U.S. Air Force just made autonomy software as important as the aircraft. The @usairforce selected Hivemind for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the first time mission autonomy software has been decoupled from the aircraft. Hivemind has successfully integrated on @anduriltech’s Fury (YFQ-44A) aircraft and is supporting system-level testing in preparation for upcoming flight demonstrations. Read the full press release here: shield.ai/shield-ai-sele… Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

"Shield AI is at an inflection point...The initial success Shield AI has seen with V-BAT in Ukraine and on U.S. shores with the Coast Guard and Marines has helped the startup land a $5.6 billion valuation and positioned it as one of the hottest defense startups of 2025." @FortuneMagazine's @jessicakmathews takes an in-depth look at Shield AI, including CEO @garylsteele’s first major interview since stepping into the role, and the company’s next phase of growth. The story covers Shield AI’s mission impact in Ukraine, increasing global demand from customers for our intelligent systems and autonomy software, and the leadership transition this spring as we continue to scale capabilities already in operational use today while investing in next-generation platforms like X-BAT. If you want to help build and deploy autonomy that delivers operational results for customers globally, come join us in the new year! Read the full article: fortune.com/2025/12/21/shi… Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

Shield AI at @FortuneMagazine Brainstorm AI! Our CEO @garylsteele joined @GoviniDefense CEO Tara Murphy Dougherty onstage for a dynamic conversation on the future of autonomous warfare in an increasingly complex global landscape. Moderated by Fortune’s own @agarfinks, the panel explored how modern warfare demands rapid engineering cycles and faster decision-making, requiring both defense tech and the Pentagon to adopt a doctrine of agility, enabled by autonomous systems. “The people that had to build the F-35, their number one thing is making sure in all circumstances you are not going to kill the pilot. In our world, we’re building an autonomous aircraft. We can go hard and crash and try things you wouldn’t be able to try if you are engineering with a human pilot.” Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

One small step for Hivemind, one giant leap for mission autonomy. Hivemind is going to space! Shield AI and Sedaro are partnering to send Hivemind to space, bringing the same resilient, edge-based autonomy that is redefining warfare to satellites delivering critical infrastructure and national defense capabilities. Our strategic partnership establishes Hivemind Pilot as Sedaro’s preferred autonomy software for on-orbit demonstrations, while also enabling the use of the Sedaro Platform for developing, testing, and demonstrating Hivemind in space-relevant scenarios. “Combining Hivemind Pilot with Sedaro’s high-fidelity models and simulation environment will unlock multi-agent cognitive teaming for space applications and new mission capabilities for our customers.” - Christian Gutierrez, Vice President of Hivemind Solutions. Hivemind is multi-domain mission autonomy. We've done autonomy for air, ground, and surface applications this year, and we couldn't be more excited to go to space. If your systems need autonomy, we'd love to work with you and help give your systems the best autonomy in the business. Read the full press release: shield.ai/shield-ai-expa… Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

AI and autonomy are redefining the future of warfare. CEO @garylsteele joined Horacio Rozanski, CEO of @BoozAllen, on the @a16z podcast to discuss how lessons from today’s global conflicts, like Ukraine and Taiwan, can help the U.S. become more agile, innovative, and prepared for the future of warfare. “We just get smarter every day [in Ukraine]. What product capabilities we need forces us to find ways to fix things overnight if we need to because it's life and death. If we can make a difference in the next 24 hours, we're going to do that.“ - Gary Steele Watch the full podcast: youtube.com/watch?v=Pt6ud_… Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.