
Hypersonic and Propulsion Companies in the United States
Hypersonic vehicles, test beds, rocket engines and solid rocket motors. For years most US solid rocket motors came from two suppliers, and the race with China and Russia on hypersonic weapons has made room for new engine makers and for faster, cheaper flight testing. Together they have disclosed $2.5B in funding, led by Castelion (~$1.5B). The newest round on record is Firehawk's Series D (Oct 2026).
X-51A WaveRider hypersonic test vehicle under a B-52 wing at Edwards Air Force Base. Photo: U.S. Air Force/Chad Bellay, Public domain (U.S. government work).
Latest rounds
| Date | Company | Round | Amount | HQ | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Firehawk | Series D | $150M | Dallas, TX | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Aug 2026 | Castelion | Series C | $1B | Torrance, CA | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Jul 2026 | Venus Aerospace | Series B | $91M | Houston, TX | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Jun 2026 | Volund Manufacturing | Seed | $12M | Huntington Beach, CA | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Apr 2026 | Hermeus | Series C | $350M | El Segundo, CA | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Feb 2026 | Agile Space Industries | Series A | $17M | Durango, CO | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Jan 2026 | Stratolaunch | Private equity round | - | Mojave, CA | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| Nov 2025 | Ursa Major | Series E | $100M | Berthoud, CO | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
| May 2025 | X-Bow Systems | Series B | $105M | Houston, TX | Hypersonics & Propulsion |
All companies
Full directoryFirehawk
Dallas, TexasProduces 3D-printed solid rocket propellant, rocket motors and artillery motors, with production in Lawton, Oklahoma and missile integration in Mississippi.
Castelion
Torrance, CaliforniaDevelops low-cost, mass-producible hypersonic strike weapons, led by the Blackbeard missile, with in-house solid rocket motor production in New Mexico.
Venus Aerospace
Houston, TexasDevelops rotating detonation rocket engines and ramjet propulsion for hypersonic aircraft and long-range defense missiles.
Volund Manufacturing
Huntington Beach, CaliforniaMakes low-cost turbojet engines, starting with a 100-pound-thrust class engine, for attritable cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft.
Hermeus
El Segundo, CaliforniaDevelops uncrewed high-Mach aircraft and turbine-based combined cycle propulsion, flying the Quarterhorse series toward supersonic and Mach 3 flight for defense customers.
Agile Space Industries
Durango, ColoradoDesigns, 3D prints and tests in-space propulsion systems and chemical rocket engines for spacecraft and defense missions.
Stratolaunch
Mojave, CaliforniaOperates the Roc carrier aircraft and the reusable, autonomous Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle for Missile Defense Agency and DoD flight testing.
Ursa Major
Berthoud, ColoradoDesigns and manufactures solid rocket motors, hypersonic engines and space propulsion using additive manufacturing for tactical missiles and launch.
X-Bow Systems
Houston, TexasManufactures solid rocket motors and energetics for tactical missiles, hypersonic test vehicles and launch, with a production campus in Luling, Texas.
Long Wall
Long Beach, CaliforniaFormerly ABL Space Systems, now builds missile defense systems and hypersonic flight test vehicles after pivoting from small launch in 2025.
Beehive Industries
Centennial, ColoradoDesigns and 3D prints small expendable turbojet engines, the Frenzy family, for affordable cruise missiles, loitering munitions and drones.
Questions
Who are the biggest hypersonic and propulsion companies in the US?
By disclosed funding among the companies we track: Castelion, Firehawk, Hermeus and Long Wall, as of November 14, 2026.
How many hypersonic and propulsion companies are in the US?
Our directory lists 11 privately held US hypersonics & propulsion startups as of November 14, 2026. Large primes and public companies are not included.