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Hypersonic aircraft start-up Hermeus raises $100 million

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At an event held in 2021, the company tested firing its engine on the Quarterhorse aircraft.

Hermeus

Hermeus Hypersonics, an aircraft startup, announced Thursday that it has raised $100 million to fund its development of the first prototype and its fleets of supersonic jets.

Sam Altman (venture capitalist) led Hermeus’ fundraising. He was joined by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund as well As In-Q-Tel who are both new investors. Khosla Ventures and Canaan Partners were also part of the round, as was Bling Capital and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest.

CNBC did not request that the company disclose its valuation in light of the raised.

Altman released a statement saying that Hermeus has an ambitious vision which appears impossible from the outside, however they have paired it with an engineering culture as well as a business plan that could make it attainable. In a tweetHe stated: [heart] fast airplanes!”

Atlanta-based firm is working on an aircraft which can travel five times faster than sound. Heremeus was founded in 2018 and has since been working on its Chimera engine, as well as its Quarterhorse aircraft prototype to show the reliability and capability of its approach.

Hermeus explained that new funds will be used for the completion of development on its Quarterhorse plane, to build three Quarterhorse capable jets, as well as flight testing. After that, Darkhorse, its next aircraft in development, will be built.

Quarterhorse, a sprinter is the best vehicle to test Chimera’s engine. It can fly in all modes and Mach numbers. CNBC spoke with Skyler Shuford from Hermeus, who said Darkhorse can sustain hypersonic flight. He also has the ability to transport cargo or payloads.

In 2021 Hermeus fired its engine at the event, and this was the company’s first non-flying Quarterhorse model. Hermeus had stated that its goal was to have Quarterhorse pilot testing completed in the latter part of 2022. But, Hermeus announced on Thursday that it will now be flying in 2023.

Hermeus is developing Quarterhorse, Darkhorse, and other parts of its plan to build an ultrasonic passenger jet called Halcyon.

A rendering by an artist of Halcyon, the company’s Halcyon-powered aircraft.

Hermeus

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