SA国际传媒

The direct hits just keep coming for the defense tech sector.

Just a day after anti-drone tech startup raised a $250 million Series D, defense and aerospace startup locked up a $240 million F-1 strategic funding round at a $5.3 billion valuation.

The new valuation is nearly double the company鈥檚 previous $2.7 billion valuation after it raised a $200 million Series F in October 2023 (it later added another $300 million in debt and equity to the round).

San Diego-based Shield AI creates an array of intelligent, autonomous systems for the defense sector. Its software, for instance 鈥� Hivemind Mind 鈥� enables aircraft to operate autonomously in high-threat environments.

The new funding received what the company called 鈥渕ajor participation from strategic investors鈥� and, as well as participation from existing investors including , and .

Founded in 2015, Shield AI has raised $1.3 billion, .

Big dollars for defense

If rounds such as those for Shield AI and Epirus keep up, defense tech should easily blow past last year鈥檚 venture numbers.

Funding to VC-backed startups in defense 鈥� defined here as the industries of military, national security and law enforcement 鈥� hit $3 billion in 2024, per SA国际传媒 . That鈥檚 a slight 11% uptick from 2023, which saw $2.7 billion raised.

Just last month, autonomous surface vessels maker locked up a $600 million Series C led by investor that valued the startup at $4 billion. Based in Austin, Texas, Saronic designs and manufactures autonomous surface vehicles 鈥� basically drones for the that move along the water鈥檚 surface.

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Related reading:

• Defense Startup Epirus Secures $250M For Anti-Drone Tech
• Defense Tech Venture Funding Gains Traction
• Weapons Startup Castelion Strikes $100M Series A
• A16z And Founders Fund Lead The Way In Defense Venture Capital
• Chaos Industries Lands $70M As Defense Tech Heats Up
• Parry Labs Raises $80M As Defense Tech Remains On A Tear
• Chaos Industries Locks Up $145M Series B As Defense Tech Continues To Heat Up
• Saronic Latest Defense Tech Startup To Hit Unicorn Status
• Defense Tech Startup Shield AI Raises $200M At $2.7B Valuation

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