Castelion
About
About Castelion
Castelion develops hypersonic strike systems around rapid flight testing and vertically integrated manufacturing. Blackbeard is its first weapon, designed for integration with air and ground launch platforms and a planned uncrewed-surface-vessel demonstration. Propulsion, guidance, flight computers and thermal-protection work are developed within the company.
The business is moving from development into production under U.S. military contracts. Project Ranger is a 1,000-acre New Mexico campus for rocket-motor manufacturing and final assembly, while Torrance and Texas support engineering and testing. Operational fielding of Blackbeard is targeted for 2027.
Articles
Funding
- 2026-08-19 - Series C - $800M - Castelion raises $800M Series C equity at $13B valuation
valuation: $13B - Castelion completed a private financing to expand its technology and operations. - source: carlyle.com
Investors
- Altimeter - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- Andreessen Horowitz - Participant - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- Carlyle - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- General Catalyst - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- Interlagos - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- JPMorganChase Strategic Investment Group - Lead - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- Lavrock Ventures - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- Lightspeed Venture Partners - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
- T. Rowe Price - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-08-19
Team
- Bryon Hargis - Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer - Leads Castelion and its hypersonic strike-system production strategy.
- Sean Pitt - Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer - Leads operating execution for Castelion's development and production programmes.
- Andrew Kreitz - Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer - Leads finance and capital planning for Castelion's production scale-up.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-09-14 - Contract Award - U.S. Navy places Blackbeard production order worth up to $200M
The production rounds follow 50 early-operational-capability weapons ordered in June 2026. Work will be performed at Castelion’s 1,000-acre Project Ranger manufacturing campus in Rio Rancho and its Torrance facility. The SBIR Phase III award moves Blackbeard from pre-production prototypes into production deliveries for the fleet.
Source - 2026-08-25 - Contract Award - U.S. Navy awards Castelion $89,997,162 Blackbeard EOC order
The order funds engineering, technical, logistics and manufacturing services supporting 50 early-operational-capability weapons. It also covers work supporting Blackbeard's transition to a Navy Program of Record and Defense Exportability Features design changes. Castelion said work will be performed in Torrance, California and is expected to complete in August 2028; that future completion date is a programme target, not a published future event.
Source - 2026-08-19 - Funding - Castelion raises $800M Series C equity at $13B valuation
JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment Group, Andreessen Horowitz and Carlyle co-led the equity financing. Lightspeed Venture Partners, Lavrock Ventures, Altimeter, General Catalyst, Interlagos and T. Rowe Price also participated. Capital will expand Blackbeard production, accelerate a longer-range strike system and support new defensive systems.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- U.S. Navy
Blackbeard Early Operational Capability Order - The U.S. Navy awarded Castelion a $89,997,162 order to advance Blackbeard to early operational capability.
Commercial
- U.S. Navy places Blackbeard production order worth up to $200M
2026-09-14 · Order / contract · The U.S. Navy awarded Castelion a production delivery order worth up to $200 million to manufacture, assemble, test and deliver an initial lot of Blackbeard hypersonic weapons.
Source - U.S. Navy awards Castelion $89,997,162 Blackbeard EOC order
2026-08-25 · Order / contract · The U.S. Navy awarded Castelion a $89,997,162 firm-fixed-price order to advance Blackbeard to early operational capability.
Source