Brandon Tseng
Brandon Tseng is co-founder and president of Shield AI, the San Diego company behind the X-BAT, an AI-piloted fighter jet. After seven years in the Navy as a SEAL, he helped found the company in 2015 with his brother Ryan Tseng and Andrew Reiter. WIRED25 featured him and his brother in 2020, and TIME named him to its 2025 TIME100 AI list. In April 2025 he said China's listing of Shield AI would not affect the company, which was 'intentionally not reliant on China.' He is Shield AI's president, overseeing business development, strategy, marketing and government relations.
Timeline
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By 2015
Seven years as a Navy SEAL
He holds a mechanical engineering degree from the Naval Academy and serves seven years in the Navy as a SEAL and Surface Warfare Officer before Shield AI is founded in 2015.
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2015
Co-founding Shield AI
He helps found Shield AI in 2015 with his brother Ryan Tseng and Andrew Reiter in San Diego.
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2020
Featured on WIRED25
In 2020 WIRED features him and his brother Ryan on WIRED25, its annual list of people who made things better.
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April 2025
On China's Unreliable Entities list
In April 2025 China adds Shield AI to its Unreliable Entities list, and he says the move will not affect the company, which is 'intentionally not reliant on China.'
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2025
Named to TIME100 AI
TIME's 2025 TIME100 AI list names him as co-founder and president of Shield AI.
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October 2025
The X-BAT fighter jet
In October 2025 Shield AI unveils X-BAT, the world's first AI-piloted vertical takeoff and landing fighter jet.
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As of October 2026
Co-founder and president
He is Shield AI's co-founder and president, overseeing business development, strategy, marketing and government relations.
Sources and credits
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