Shield Technology Partners, an IT services platform focused on AI-enabled products, engineering, and operational expertise, has raised $100 million from Thrive Holdings to accelerate product development and pursue strategic acquisitions.
The investment is expected to support Shield’s expansion across the U.S. and strengthen its position as an AI-first IT services platform serving businesses across critical industries.
Scaling an AI-First IT Services Model
Shield combines traditional IT services with proprietary AI products designed to improve efficiency and service delivery. According to the company, the new funding will be used to accelerate innovation across its platform while supporting mergers and acquisitions that expand its national footprint.
“Every business, regardless of size, should have access to world-class IT that enables growth rather than holding it back,” said Jim Siders, CEO of Shield. He added that the investment allows the company to further develop AI-driven capabilities that help IT teams focus on higher-value, strategic work.
AI Products Designed for IT Operations
Part of the funding will support Shield’s engineering team, which is working alongside OpenAI researchers to build AI-enabled tools for IT service providers.
Among the products highlighted by the company:
Sentinel, which monitors and triages IT support tickets, ensuring they reach the appropriate engineer with the correct priority.
Spectre, which assists engineers by orchestrating AI agents capable of resolving specific queries and tasks.
Shield reports that these tools are already handling some of the most time-consuming IT service categories, including software and email issues, which account for more than 60% of total ticket volume. In several cases, the company says median time-to-resolution has been reduced by more than 50%.
Partner and Investor Perspectives
Shield’s partners say the AI capabilities have helped address challenges that were previously difficult to tackle internally.
“Shield’s work in building AI-driven products reflects initiatives we had envisioned but didn’t have the resources to execute,” said Alexander Saca, CEO of IronOrbit, one of Shield’s partners.
From the investor side, Thrive Holdings emphasized the importance of specialized AI in driving enterprise adoption.
“We believe domain-specific AI is central to scaling enterprise AI,” said Anuj Mehndiratta, a member of Thrive Holdings’ founding team. “Shield’s model aligns the people building the technology with those using it in a way that can scale effectively.”
Growth and Market Reach
In 2025, Shield reported more than $100 million in annual revenue. The company currently partners with nine IT services businesses across the U.S., collectively serving over 1,500 customers in sectors such as construction, energy, and healthcare.
Shield says the new capital will support continued platform expansion while deepening its focus on AI-driven operational efficiency.
About Shield Technology Partners
Shield Technology Partners is a national IT services platform formed through a collaboration between Thrive Holdings and ZBS Partners. The company focuses on accelerating growth and innovation for IT services businesses through a combination of AI, engineering expertise, and operational support.
