Saildrone vs Shield AI
Side-by-side equity comparison for employees weighing offers at Saildrone or Shield AI. Valuations, funding history, headcount growth, and secondary-market context.
| Saildrone | Shield AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest valuation | Not publicly disclosed | $13B |
| Latest round | Series D | Series F |
| Round date | June 2024 | — |
| Total raised | $350M | $1.2B |
| Founded | 2012 | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Alameda, CA | San Diego, CA |
| Employees | 245 | 1,372 |
| Employee YoY growth | +7% | +52% |
| Primary industry | Aerospace & Defense | Aerospace & Defense |
| Secondary-market price | — | $166.68 |
| Base-case equity multiple | 1x | 1x |
| Upside equity multiple | 2x | 2x |
| Lead investors | Social Capital, Lux Capital | Andreessen Horowitz, Breyer Capital |
| Status | private | private |
Overview
Designs and operates autonomous surface vehicles (uncrewed sailboats) that collect ocean data for climate research, maritime security, and fisheries management.
Builds AI-powered autonomous systems for defense applications, including the Hivemind autonomy platform for unmanned aircraft and other military vehicles.
Why we compare these
Saildrone and Shield AI both appear on Defense-tech unicorns .
If you're evaluating offers at either one, the equity math depends on more than the headline valuation — dilution, strike price, time to liquidity, and concentration risk all matter. Use our equity compensation calculator and exit calculator to model your own numbers.