Shifters
Israeli-US startup founded in 2023 building TRUST legged ground robots and RITA agentic-AI command software for ISR and hazardous missions.
Shifters is a defence and dual-use ground robotics startup founded in 2023 by CEO Ofer Ballin and CTO Assaf Chaprak. Press reports describe it as US-Israeli, with staff in Israel, the United States and Europe. Chaprak is a former major in the Israeli Air Force who later worked for video and computer-vision companies in the US. According to Calcalist, the company had about 20 employees in mid-2026 and was hiring in AI, mechatronics and software. Its website describes it as developing teams of robots that move autonomously through complex terrain for dangerous missions.
Products. Shifters develops three linked products:
- TRUST, a family of rugged legged (four-legged) robot platforms. The base model is a payload-agnostic "tray with legs" that can carry different equipment such as cameras and scanners, and it is small enough to be carried by a soldier or an unmanned ground vehicle. The platforms follow Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principles and run AI onboard on NVIDIA processors. The CTO has said TRUST should reach Technology Readiness Level 8, possibly 9, by the end of 2026.
- RITA, an agentic-AI software and command layer that interprets operator intent, plans missions and coordinates teams of robots.
- Digital Twin, a simulation and analysis tool that mirrors the robots, environments and missions for risk assessment and sensor analysis.
The company's software covers terrain-aware locomotion, mission planning and multi-robot coordination, and is designed to fit within tight weight, power, thermal and size limits.
Applications and customers. The main use case so far is intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR): sending robots into rubble, tunnels, GPS-denied spaces and hazardous-material zones before human teams. Shifters also targets critical-infrastructure inspection, underground mining, search and rescue after natural disasters, and precision agriculture. It reports commercial contracts in defence and national security, regular work with Israel's Ministry of Defense and its Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), and demonstrations and pilots with foreign customers, including units within the US Army. Most of the company's activity is still development and field trials.
Funding. In June 2026 Shifters announced a USD 10.2 million seed round led by Ace Capital Partners, a venture firm focused on defence and dual-use autonomy. Aurelius Capital Management, Corner Ventures, Arkin Capital, STEP World and Fresh Fund also took part. Total funding to date is USD 15 million. The money is for further autonomy development, production readiness and expanded production lines, and for expansion in the US, Europe and the Middle East.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
TRUST
Family of rugged, portable four-legged platforms ('a tray with legs') with MOSA payload bay and onboard NVIDIA AI for ISR in rubble, tunnels and GPS-denied areas.
RITA
Agentic-AI command layer that interprets operator intent, plans missions and coordinates autonomous teams of Shifters robots.
Shifters Digital Twin
Virtual simulation tool mirroring Shifters robots, environments and missions for risk assessment and sensor analysis before deployment.
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Company Facts
Founded
2023
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Middle East
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Early-Stage VC
Funding Total
-
Keywords
- Shifters
- Shifters AI
- TRUST legged platform
- RITA command software
- agentic AI
- multi-robot teaming
- MOSA payload
- GPS-denied operations
- tunnel reconnaissance
- search and rescue
- dual-use autonomy
- Manufacturer
- Software/Algorithm
- Legged Robot
- Control & Software
- Cloud & Data
- Quadruped
- Digital Twin
- Defense & Security
- Special / Extreme Environments
