The problem
Militaries need drones and aircraft that fly missions on their own when GPS and communications are jammed
What they do
AI pilot software (Hivemind) plus V-BAT and X-BAT autonomous military aircraft
Traction ~$300M FY2025 revenue; projects $540M+ in 2026 (80%+ growth); Hivemind picked for USAF CCA
Hiring trend
- Open roles
- 668
- Ops roles
- 4
- Headcount
- ~1,800-1,900
Headcount ~1,200 (Dec 2025, Fortune) → ~1,800-1,900 (Revelio/Tracxn 2026); 616 open roles, 300+ added in 30 days
Hiring in
- Dallas
- San Diego
- Seattle
- Remote (US)
Glassdoor
3.3 ★ 207 reviews ↗Funding
- Last round
- $1.5B
- Stage
- Series G
- Date
- Mar 2026
Led by Advent International, JPMorganChase Security and Resiliency Initiative
- Hiring+2668 open roles on the live job board (30+ roles = +2)
- Funding recency+1.5Series G · $1.5B, Mar 2026 (7 months ago): 6–12 months = +1, $100M+ round +0.5
- Traction+1.5Strong growth: ~$300M FY2025 revenue; projects $540M+ in 2026 (80%+ growth); Hivemind picked for USAF CCA
- Red flags−11 significant flag in the last 24 months, −1 eachSafety and workplace allegations: Reuters (Jun 2026) investigation into V-BAT crashes and safety problems citing 21 ex-staff and a whistleblower complaint, after a 2024 Navy finger injury that cost 2025 revenue targets; May 2026 lawsuit alleging harassment by a customer-ops senior director and retaliation for safety concerns.Reuters: Drone crashes and severed fingers at a $13B military startup (Jun 2026) ↗ · Forbes: How a grisly injury threw Shield AI off course (May 2025) ↗ · Claims Journal/Bloomberg: Ex-Shield AI worker sues over acts by senior official (Jun 2026) ↗ · Glassdoor: Shield AI reviews (3.3, senior management 2.8, work/life 2.6) ↗
- Total4.02 + 1.5 + 1.5 − 1 = 4.0 → Tempo (3.5–4.24)
Distance (Half) is a separate read on how long the lead can last. It doesn't change the score.
Distance
Half · edge: hard to leave
One of the top US autonomy players: Hivemind has flown 26 vehicle classes, is licensed to OEMs like Honeywell and won the USAF CCA autonomy slot, and V-BAT is deployed with many militaries; but Anduril is bigger, revenue rests on government buyers, and V-BAT safety problems are a live risk.
Sources: Shield AI: Series G and Aechelon acquisition, Hivemind on 26 vehicle classes (Mar 2026) ↗ · Shield AI: Honeywell flies first autonomous aircraft with Hivemind (Oct 2026) ↗ · Fortune: Shield AI projects $540M+ revenue in 2026 (Mar 2026) ↗
Watch-outs
Safety and workplace allegations: Reuters (Jun 2026) investigation into V-BAT crashes and safety problems citing 21 ex-staff and a whistleblower complaint, after a 2024 Navy finger injury that cost 2025 revenue targets; May 2026 lawsuit alleging harassment by a customer-ops senior director and retaliation for safety concerns.
Sources: Reuters: Drone crashes and severed fingers at a $13B military startup (Jun 2026) ↗ · Forbes: How a grisly injury threw Shield AI off course (May 2025) ↗ · Claims Journal/Bloomberg: Ex-Shield AI worker sues over acts by senior official (Jun 2026) ↗ · Glassdoor: Shield AI reviews (3.3, senior management 2.8, work/life 2.6) ↗
Open ops roles · 4
Last checked Oct 25, 2026