Startup profile · funding coverage
Hermeus funding, valuation and investors
Develops reusable uncrewed high-speed aircraft and the manufacturing base to produce them.
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest funding
Not publicly disclosed
Latest known valuation
$1B
Series C (equity and debt package) · April 7, 2026
Total disclosed equity funding
Not publicly disclosed
Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.
Current status
private
growth · Los Angeles, California, United States
Overview
Hermeus develops high-speed uncrewed aircraft including the Quarterhorse test series. Founded in 2018 by AJ Piplica and colleagues, it completed a Mach 1.21 unmanned flight in May 2026. Hermeus announced $350 million Series C financing in April 2026, split into $200 million equity and $150 million debt, at a $1 billion valuation. Zach Shore became CEO on June 1, 2026.
Why Hermeus is interesting
Hermeus demonstrated supersonic flight with its Quarterhorse Mk2.1 in 2026 and raised $350 million at a $1 billion valuation. The aerospace engineering and funding claims have measurable flight and program milestones.
Product & use cases
Hermeus follows a test-aircraft development cycle with Quarterhorse prototypes and aims to produce uncrewed aircraft suitable for defense missions. The company is also building propulsion manufacturing capability with a Pratt & Whitney license.
- Uncrewed supersonic military test aircraft
- High-speed autonomous aircraft research and development
- Licensed production of military aircraft engines
Key facts
- April 7, 2026: $350M financing comprises $200M equity plus $150M debt. Khosla Ventures led the equity portion; post-money valuation $1B.
- May 26, 2026: Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 achieved Mach 1.21, supersonic but not hypersonic.
- June 1, 2026: Zach Shore succeeded founding CEO AJ Piplica, who became executive chairman.
- May 28, 2026: DIU contract ceiling expanded to $219M; this is procurement potential, not venture capital.
- September 2026: Pratt & Whitney licensed Hermeus to manufacture F100-PW-229 engines.
- September 2026: Ramjet-X high-Mach test vehicle unveiled as a development program, not proven operational delivery.
Funding history (newest first)
Series C (equity and debt package)
2026-04-07 $350M total ($200M equity + $150M debt) Valuation: $1B- Khosla Ventures (lead)
- RTX Ventures (participant)
- Canaan Partners (participant)
- Founders Fund (participant)
Source: Read source · prnewswire.com
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Hermeus's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Competitive landscape
Edge: Real aircraft flight-test results and propulsion manufacturing permissions distinguish Hermeus from concept-stage hypersonic ventures; cost, reliability, repeatability and production-scale operations still need validation.
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Boom Supersonic adjacent
Commercial supersonic aircraft development, serving a different core customer.
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Stratolaunch adjacent
Hypersonic test services and flight vehicles.
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Lockheed Martin Skunk Works incumbent
Advanced military high-speed aircraft and prototype development.
Industries
Market / IPO context
Editorial / static context — not a live quote.
FAQs about Hermeus
Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.
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