Shifters Raises $10.2 Million to Scale AI-Native Ground Robotics for High-Risk Missions

Shifters, a Washington-based robotics company developing AI-native autonomous ground systems, has raised $10.2 million in seed funding led by Ace Capital Partners. The round brings total funding to $15 million and includes participation from Aurelius Capital Management, Corner Ventures, Arkin Capital, STEP World and Fresh Fund.

The investor group spans U.S., European and Israeli investors with experience in aerospace, defense and dual-use deep-tech sectors, reflecting growing interest in autonomous systems for high-risk environments.

Shifters develops supervised autonomous robotic teams designed for defense, national security and critical infrastructure applications. The company says its systems are intended to extend operator reach, improve situational awareness and reduce human exposure in dangerous missions. The funding will be used to advance AI development, prepare manufacturing capabilities and expand the company’s footprint across the U.S., Middle East and Europe.

Shifters positions its technology as a ground-based counterpart to aerial drones, focusing on environments where humans still enter first—such as collapsed structures, tunnels or contaminated areas—before full situational awareness is available.

“The first asset into a dangerous environment should increasingly be a robot, not a person,” said CEO and co-founder Ofer Ballin. “This funding allows us to accelerate coordinated robotic teams that can be directed by a single operator and adapt to complex ground conditions.”

The company is building its platform around a modular open systems architecture designed for mission-specific payloads and integration across different operational environments. Applications include reconnaissance, perimeter monitoring, intelligence gathering and high-risk mission preparation, as well as commercial uses such as infrastructure inspection, mining, agriculture and search-and-rescue operations.