Hermeus, a defense technology company, has secured $350 million in new funding to accelerate the development of unmanned hypersonic aircraft.
The round includes $200 million in equity led by Khosla Ventures, alongside participation from Canaan Partners, Founders Fund, In-Q-Tel, and RTX Ventures. Additional backing came from investors including Cox Enterprises and Destiny Tech100. A further $150 million was raised through debt financing, bringing the company’s valuation to approximately $1 billion.
What The Company Does
Founded in Los Angeles, Hermeus is focused on developing high-speed aircraft capable of operating at hypersonic velocities, with a particular emphasis on unmanned defense applications. Its long-term objective is to build aircraft capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5 and beyond, significantly reducing response times for military operations.
The company’s approach combines rapid prototyping with existing aerospace technologies. Rather than continuing to develop a proprietary engine from scratch, Hermeus partnered with Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, to adapt the F100 engine for its aircraft. This decision enabled faster testing cycles and reduced development risk by relying on proven propulsion systems.
Hermeus is currently advancing multiple aircraft prototypes, including a demonstrator roughly the size of an F-16, with plans to achieve supersonic and eventually hypersonic performance in future iterations.
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Market Context / Industry Background
Investment in defense technology has increased significantly in recent years, driven by geopolitical tensions and renewed focus on advanced military capabilities. Venture capital and corporate investors are allocating more capital to aerospace and defense startups, particularly those working on next-generation systems such as autonomous platforms and high-speed aircraft.
Hypersonic technology is considered strategically important, as it offers advantages in speed, maneuverability, and response time compared to conventional systems. Governments, particularly in the United States, are actively seeking new solutions to maintain technological competitiveness in this domain.
Hermeus operates within this environment, where demand for rapid innovation is reshaping traditional aerospace development cycles. This shift is encouraging closer collaboration between private companies and public institutions, as well as faster prototyping and testing processes. As a result, development timelines are becoming more compressed, requiring new approaches to engineering, manufacturing, and program management across the sector.
Founder / Investor Commentary
Chief Executive Officer AJ Piplica emphasized the importance of balancing capital efficiency with hardware-intensive development. He noted that incorporating debt financing allows the company to scale manufacturing while limiting equity dilution, which is particularly relevant given the capital demands of aerospace engineering.
Piplica also highlighted the company’s emphasis on rapid iteration, describing a development model focused on building, testing, and refining aircraft at a faster pace than traditional aerospace programs. He acknowledged that failure is an expected component of this process, particularly in early-stage testing.
President Zach Shore added that the decision to adopt an existing engine platform has accelerated progress toward hypersonic capability while also enabling near-term alignment with defense customer requirements.
Growth Plans / Use Of Funds
The newly raised capital will be used to expand Hermeus’ manufacturing capabilities, continue development of its aircraft prototypes, and grow its engineering team, which is approaching 300 employees.
The company is advancing multiple aircraft programs simultaneously, using a staged development strategy to incrementally reach higher performance thresholds. This includes transitioning from current demonstrator models toward fully operational unmanned hypersonic systems.
Funding will also support further testing and validation, as well as strengthening relationships with government customers, particularly within the US Department of Defense.
About Hermeus
Hermeus is a US-based aerospace and defense startup focused on developing hypersonic aircraft. The company builds high-speed systems designed for military and autonomous applications, using rapid prototyping and existing propulsion technologies to accelerate development. Its mission is to reduce the time required to deploy advanced aerospace systems while expanding the capabilities of next-generation aviation.
