US Defense Startups Hiring Heavily in Taiwan: From Procurement to Supply Chain and Software Talent – Why Are Anduril and Shield AI Betting Big on Taiwan?

US defense startups are accelerating their expansion into Taiwan, with prominent players like Anduril and Shield AI not only pursuing military sales contracts with Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense but also engaging in various collaborations with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) and Hanxiang Corporation. In the eyes of these emerging defense firms, Taiwan is no longer merely a market but a crucial source of components and technological expertise.

As a result, following their establishment of subsidiaries in Taiwan in 2025, these defense startups are continuously expanding local hiring, recruiting talent across procurement, supply chain management, and software and hardware engineering. This development opens up new career pathways for domestic tech professionals looking to transition from the tech industry into the defense sector.

Anduril, one of the most well-known US defense startups, currently has a valuation of approximately $6.1 billion (about NT$194 billion). This valuation ranks seventh among all listed and unlisted companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, surpassing Fubon Financial’s NT$182 billion and trailing only Yuanta Taiwan 50’s NT$230 billion.

Anduril established its Taiwan subsidiary in the second half of 2025. A review of the latest job postings on Anduril’s official website reveals an opening for a Product Deployment Operations Specialist in its maritime unmanned systems division.

Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril, has visited Taiwan for two consecutive years.

In August 2025, Luckey delivered a speech at National Taiwan University, stating that Taiwan is riding a wave of “technological and industrial renaissance” in the defense sector. This renaissance is built upon Taiwan’s already strong foundation in consumer electronics and industrial electronics—areas that have made Taiwan the envy of the world. He emphasized that talent, technology, capital, and government support are converging uniquely in Taiwan.

Alexander Chang, Anduril’s Managing Director for East Asia, recently spoke at the annual forum hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s think tank, the “Center for Democracy, Science, and Society” (DSET). During the drone-focused session, he detailed Anduril’s progress in Taiwan over the past 15 months, including the addition of 15 local suppliers, a 15-fold increase in direct procurement spending in Taiwan, and the hiring of eight local employees.

Moreover, the Altius-600M anti-armor drone sold by Anduril to Taiwan through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program was delivered just 13 months after contract signing—an achievement that also marks Anduril’s first overseas military sale.

Regarding this, Chang stated at the forum, “We have numerous projects underway with both Taiwan’s military and commercial partners. Everyone knows our first FMS product was the Altius, but beyond that, we also have many commercial projects ongoing with NCSIST (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology).”

Anduril’s procurement from Taiwanese suppliers includes motors, printed circuit boards, precision mechanical parts, and plastic injection-molded components. “This has been a truly excellent experience. The skill level and cooperation from Taiwan’s local industries are outstanding. Many of our suppliers come from the consumer electronics sector and have now entered the defense industry, giving them extensive experience in low-volume, high-mix prototyping—this has been immensely helpful for our supply chain team,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Shield AI’s job portal, five positions are currently open in Taipei: Supplier Development Engineer for the Aircraft Division, International Business Development for the Growth Division, and three Application Engineer roles under the Hivemind Solutions Division.

Brandon Tseng, co-founder of Shield AI, recently appeared on the Storm Media program “After Work International Line,” where he mentioned that since establishing its Taiwan subsidiary in September of the previous year, the company has already hired seven employees. He estimates that, given the rapid business growth, the team could expand to around 200 employees within the next three to five years.

“If Shield AI’s mission is to protect soldiers, civilians, and deter war, I can’t think of any place more important than Taiwan. Taiwan matters to the entire world, and here we have the opportunity to deter war from breaking out.”

“To truly achieve this, you need strong military capabilities. We are working closely with Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the government, and many local enterprises. Our products include the V-BAT and the AI platform Hivemind. The share of Taiwanese suppliers in our supply chain has grown from less than 1% two years ago to 16% today, and we hope to reach 25% in the future.”

Shield AI established its presence in Taiwan in September 2025, showcasing a model of its flagship V-BAT unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, a product that has already seen combat use in Ukraine.

In September 2025, Shield AI signed a teaming agreement with Hanxiang Corporation, aiming to build an advanced unmanned systems ecosystem covering the entire value chain—from manufacturing and assembly testing to maintenance and support.

According to Hanxiang’s announcement at the time, the collaboration will be based on a series of products provided by Shield AI, with Hanxiang responsible for local maintenance, saving time and transportation costs associated with returning equipment to the US manufacturer. Shield AI will train local Taiwanese engineering technicians, gradually building up trusted technical capabilities within Taiwan that can be relied upon by the military.

Additionally, both parties will integrate their respective strengths in software and hardware technologies to jointly develop high-performance, cost-competitive products.

Tseng commented, “Our partnership with Hanxiang will accelerate the development of Taiwan’s drone and aerospace industries and build next-generation deterrence capabilities for the next 20 years. This will be an excellent and long-term partnership.”