$350M to Build the Fastest Aircraft in the World for the American Warfighter
The open secret in aviation is that we’ve become so afraid of risk, we’ve analyzed our way out of speed.
At Hermeus, we’re doing the opposite. In three years, we built three vehicles across our locations in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Jacksonville, and flew two new jets 9 months apart in California and New Mexico. We tackled the unknowns and expanded our ambition with larger planes and more powerful engines, driven by a team that isn't afraid to take risk to learn quickly. Everything we do is focused on a single, enduring idea: maximize speed of learning to build the fastest unmanned airplanes in the world that give our country the asymmetric advantage it needs. Then do it again and again.
Today, we’re announcing a $350M Series C financing led by Khosla Ventures and more than a dozen other investors. This is a mandate to build, fly, and deliver products for our customer – the American warfighter.
This capital scales our fleet of aircraft, pushing the Quarterhorse program forward with our second supersonic aircraft, Mk 2.2, and our first Mach 3 aircraft, Mk 2.3. To achieve this, we’re expanding our prototyping footprint in Los Angeles with our new HQ in El Segundo, while Atlanta prepares for production and scale. Rapid iterative development is how we give our military asymmetric advantage that scales – one as sustainable as it is dominant. There is so much more to come.
We're returning to the roots of American innovation – taking smart risks to rapidly advance our capabilities in aviation. Together these next milestones put us at an inflection point – poised to deliver on the promise of high-speed aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, and beyond. We still have so much to learn, but we’ve earned the opportunity to swing. And swing big we will.
I’m grateful to our investors and customers who have continued to scale their faith and trust in us. And to our team – you continue to amaze me with your ingenuity, commitment, and fire for tackling some of the hardest and most meaningful problems in aerospace. Thank you.
To those who want to build the fastest aircraft in the world – we’re hiring.
— AJ Piplica