Top 9 AI startups in San Diego

Jul 25, 2025 | By Siddhant Patel

1
Funding: $1.3B
Shield AI works with the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal, state, and local departments and agencies to deliver next generation intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance systems. Shield AI’s first product, Nova, is a Hivemind-powered drone that searches buildings while simultaneously streaming video and generating maps.
2
Funding: $648.1M
TuSimple is a self-driving truck company capable of driving from depot-to-depot without human intervention needed.
3
Funding: $537.5M
One app to replace them all. ClickUp brings tasks, docs, spreadsheets, goal tracking, resources, and an inbox, together in one place. The built-in AI assistant Brain is connecting tasks, docs, people, and all of your company’s knowledge
4
Funding: $212M
Kneron develops an application-specific integrated circuit and software that offers artificial intelligence-based tools.
5
Funding: $193M
Brain Corp develops AI Platform for Self-Driving Robots. With delivery, healthcare, security, and personal service robots powered by BrainOS, organizations can improve life at work, at home, and at play.
6
Funding: $67.7M
Gretel helps developers to build quickly with the data and safely share it with others.
7
Funding: $30M
Data aggregation for Marketers. All your marketing data in one place, without developers.
8
Funding: $4.5M
Soundful is an AI-powered music creation platform that enables content creators and artists to analyze, create and monetize music.
9
Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision & Data Science for maritime, ports, harbors, boating & marinas, underwater drone inspections
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Editor: Siddhant Patel
Siddhant Patel is a senior editor for AI-Startups. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web. Siddhant has a special interest in artificial intelligence and has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the industry. Siddhant graduated from the Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru). When he’s not writing, Siddhant is also a developer and has a deep historical knowledge of the computer industry for the past 50 years. You can contact Siddhant at sidpatel(at)ai-startups(dot)pro