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Shield AI

Defense AI / Autonomous Systems · San Diego, California, USA

Matrix Employer Score™

93.06

High confidence

Employer Intelligence Evidence

Evidence-backed signals supporting our assessment of this AI employer.

Evidence-backed
AI Impact
High Confidence
89.6
3 evidence items
View evidence

Supporting signal

Physical AI Deployment & Real-World Impact

Physical AI Deployment & Real-World Impact

Medium Confidence

Oct 9, 2026

Shield AI reports V-BAT operating with Frontex and Global Sat Tech from June 2025, including a July wildfire response in eastern Bulgaria providing fire tracking, hot-spot detection and firefighting coordinates.

Source: Shield AIprimaryOpen source ↗

Physical AI Deployment & Real-World Impact

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Shield AI won a U.S. Air Force production contract in 2026 for Hivemind mission autonomy on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and has expanded V-BAT and Hivemind deployments globally.

Source: Shield AI - USAF Production ContractCompanyOpen source ↗

Frontier Model And Enterprise Adoption

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Shield AI won a U.S. Air Force production contract in 2026 for Hivemind mission autonomy on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and has expanded V-BAT and Hivemind deployments globally.

Source: Shield AI - USAF Production ContractCompanyOpen source ↗
Evidence items: 3Methodology: v1.2Updated: Oct 9, 2026
AI Leadership
High Confidence
92
3 evidence items
View evidence

Supporting signal

Physical AI & Autonomy Leadership

Physical AI & Autonomy Leadership

High Confidence

Oct 7, 2026

Shield AI describes Hivemind SDK's reference architectures and reusable autonomy library together with simulation test orchestration, configuration management and large-scale data-analysis workflows. This supplies a distinct engineering and validation capability beyond the existing mission-planning and multi-vehicle autonomy evidence.

Source: Shield AICompanyOpen source ↗

Physical AI & Autonomy Leadership

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Hivemind provides autonomous mission planning, teaming and adaptation across aircraft, drones and maritime platforms, including multi-asset autonomous teaming demonstrations and integrations across dozens of vehicle classes.

Source: Shield AI - Scaling What WorksCompanyOpen source ↗

Frontier Research Leadership

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Hivemind provides autonomous mission planning, teaming and adaptation across aircraft, drones and maritime platforms, including multi-asset autonomous teaming demonstrations and integrations across dozens of vehicle classes.

Source: Shield AI - Scaling What WorksCompanyOpen source ↗
Evidence items: 3Methodology: v1.2Updated: Oct 7, 2026
Employer Strength
High Confidence
96
3 evidence items
View evidence

Supporting signal

Physical AI Employer Strength

Physical AI Employer Strength

High Confidence

Oct 7, 2026

Shield AI announced a U.S. Air Force production contract on June 17, 2026 for Hivemind mission autonomy in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The production award supplies commercial-demand evidence separate from its financing; no contract value is assumed.

Source: Shield AI official materialCompanyOpen source ↗

Deployment Capacity

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Shield AI completed a $2B strategic financing package at a $12.7B post-money valuation and acquired Aechelon Technology, expanding simulation and synthetic-environment capabilities alongside Hivemind.

Source: Shield AI - Aechelon AcquisitionCompanyOpen source ↗

Physical AI Employer Strength

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Shield AI completed a $2B strategic financing package at a $12.7B post-money valuation and acquired Aechelon Technology, expanding simulation and synthetic-environment capabilities alongside Hivemind.

Source: Shield AI - Aechelon AcquisitionCompanyOpen source ↗
Evidence items: 3Methodology: v1.2Updated: Oct 7, 2026
Market Transferability
High Confidence
94
3 evidence items
View evidence

Supporting signal

Physical AI Skill Transferability

Physical AI Skill Transferability

Medium Confidence

Oct 7, 2026

Shield AI documents a reusable Hivemind SDK with reference architectures, configuration management, simulation test orchestration and large-scale analysis used for autonomy verification across scenario permutations. This concrete verification toolchain supports portable safety-critical engineering beyond existing role breadth.

Source: Shield AICompanyOpen source ↗

Physical AI Skill Transferability

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Shield AI work spans autonomy software, simulation, perception, mission planning, multi-agent teaming, aircraft systems and field deployment; these skills are highly portable across autonomy employers but partly defense-specialized.

Source: Shield AI - CatalystCompanyOpen source ↗

Frontier Agent Skill Transferability

High Confidence

Sep 26, 2026

Shield AI work spans autonomy software, simulation, perception, mission planning, multi-agent teaming, aircraft systems and field deployment; these skills are highly portable across autonomy employers but partly defense-specialized.

Source: Shield AI - CatalystCompanyOpen source ↗
Evidence items: 3Methodology: v1.2Updated: Oct 7, 2026

Matrix Employer Score™ components are supported by structured employer evidence, versioned methodologies, and confidence ratings.

Hiring Signal

Hiring

Employer Signal

96

Hiring Opportunity

96

Company Overview

Employer Snapshot

AI Category

Defense AI / Autonomous Systems

Primary Location

San Diego, California, USA

Founded

2015

Employees

2000

Why AI Talent Watches Shield AI

Shield AI develops AI pilots, autonomous aircraft systems, and autonomy software for defense and national-security applications.

Why Join

Build advanced autonomy systems and AI pilots deployed in demanding real-world environments.

Employer Intelligence

Hiring: Hiring

Talent Competition: Exceptional

Technical Bar: Exceptional

AI Talent Matrix Confidence: High confidence

Talent Intelligence

Matrix Employer Score™ Breakdown

View Matrix Employer Score™ Methodology →

Core Employer Intelligence

AI Impact

89.6

AI Leadership

92

Employer Strength

96

Market Transferability

94

Career & Workplace

Career Growth

100

Compensation

100

Engineering Culture

100

Work-Life Balance

60

Evidence-Backed Signals

Career Upside

100

Talent Density

100

Hiring Opportunity

96

Talent & Career Programs

Remote Policy

Hybrid

Visa Sponsorship

Case by Case

Internship Program

Available

New Grad Program

Available

AI Focus

Autonomous Systems / AI Pilots / Defense AI / Robotics

Flagship Products

Hivemind; V-BAT; X-BAT

Data & Methodology

How AI Talent Matrix interprets this employer

Last Updated

9/5/2026

AI Talent Matrix Confidence

High confidence

AI Talent Matrix scores and signals are comparative employer-intelligence indicators and should not be interpreted as guarantees of hiring, compensation, career outcomes, or individual fit.

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