Hermeus
About
About Hermeus
Hermeus develops the Quarterhorse flight-test series to mature turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion, high-speed structures and unmanned flight systems through successive aircraft. Darkhorse is the larger operationally relevant programme intended to translate those lessons into a multi-mission defense platform.
The company builds and flies successive prototypes on short cycles, with Los Angeles focused on prototyping and Atlanta supporting production scale-up. Quarterhorse vehicles progressively mature the flight systems intended for Darkhorse; Hermeus describes its current aircraft as remotely controlled, not autonomous.
Articles
Supply
Supply chain relationships
- Anduril Industries
Inbound - Autonomy Software - Anduril will provide Lattice mission-autonomy software for Hermeus's Quarterhorse Mk 2 under a 2026 agreement
Source
Funding
- 2026-04-07 - Series C - $200M - Hermeus closes $200M Series C equity round within $350M financing package
valuation: $1B - Hermeus announced a completed financing round to support its operating and product plans. - source: hermeus.com
Investors
- Canaan Partners - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-04-07
- Founders Fund - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-04-07
- In-Q-Tel - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-04-07
- Khosla Ventures - Lead - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-04-07
- RTX Ventures - Participant - Corporate / CVC - 1 funding event - strategic/corporate - first seen 2026-04-07
Team
- Zach Shore - Chief Executive Officer - Leads Hermeus business execution, defense-customer engagement and organisational scale-up.
- AJ Piplica - Co-founder and Executive Chairman - Chairs the board and focuses on Hermeus long-term strategy, capital and external partnerships.
- Steve Furger - Chief Technology Officer - Leads the cross-disciplinary engineering organisation developing Hermeus high-speed aircraft.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-09-15 - Partnership - Hermeus gains licence to manufacture F100-PW-229 engines
Hermeus will use its rapid-build production model while meeting Pratt & Whitney quality, safety and site-activation standards. The F100 has accumulated more than 32 million flight hours and powers F-15 and F-16 aircraft as well as Hermeus Quarterhorse. The agreement expands domestic fighter-engine capacity and gives Hermeus in-house propulsion manufacturing for its high-speed aircraft programme.
Source - 2026-09-09 - Product Launch - Hermeus unveils Ramjet-X high-Mach test vehicle
Quarterhorse will carry Ramjet-X to the speed and altitude needed for ramjet operation, release it for high-Mach flight and return for later missions. The vehicle is designed to carry payloads, sensors, communications, compute, autonomy, materials and propulsion experiments in sustained high-Mach conditions. Engine work is underway at the HEAT facility in Jacksonville and high-temperature structures are in development in El Segundo, with integrated vehicle testing planned for 2027.
Source - 2026-05-28 - Contract Award - Hermeus scales DIU high-Mach flight contract ceiling to $219M
The expanded scope covers work with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. The programme aims to demonstrate uncrewed aircraft reaching high-Mach speeds and releasing payloads in flight. The disclosed figure is a contract ceiling, not a statement that the full amount has been obligated or recognised as revenue.
Source - 2026-05-26 - Demonstration - Hermeus Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 completes first unmanned supersonic flight
The flight occurred 364 days after the maiden flight of the company's first aircraft, Quarterhorse Mk 1. Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine and is the first of three F-16-scale vehicles in the current flight-test roadmap. Hermeus said it was continuing the Mk 2.1 campaign while building Mk 2.2 and preparing Mk 2.3.
Source - 2026-04-07 - Funding - Hermeus closes $200M Series C equity round within $350M financing package
Khosla Ventures led the equity round, with Canaan Partners, Founders Fund, In-Q-Tel and RTX Ventures among the returning investors. The package funds additional Quarterhorse aircraft, including the Mk 2.2 supersonic vehicle and Mk 2.3 Mach 3 demonstrator. The broader $350 million financing package also included a separately disclosed $150 million debt component.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- Pratt & Whitney
F100 Production License Partner - Pratt & Whitney licensed Hermeus to manufacture F100-PW-229 engines under its production, quality and safety standards.
Commercial
- Hermeus scales DIU high-Mach flight contract ceiling to $219M
2026-05-28 · Order / contract · Hermeus said an expanded Defense Innovation Unit contract raised the programme ceiling to $219 million for high-Mach flight and high-speed payload-release demonstrations.
Source