Hypersonica raises €100 million to develop hypersonic missiles — Der Spiegel

German-British defense startup Hypersonica, headquartered in Feldkirchen near Munich, has raised €100 million in a Series B funding round. The funds were provided by U.S. venture capital funds Lightspeed Ventures and General Catalyst, as well as existing investors, including London-based European company Plural, Der Spiegel reports.

The company intends to turn its HS-1 prototype into a deployable hypersonic weapon and establish mass production by 2029. According to Hypersonica co-founder and chief executive Philipp Kert, the missiles are intended to strengthen European deterrence against potential attacks by the Russian Federation, an aggressor state.

Prototype testing

During its first test flight in Norway in February, the HS-1 prototype reached a speed six times the speed of sound, but flew only 300 km. The missile also lacked a guidance system, a key capability the startup has not yet achieved.

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Hypersonica plans to conduct its next tests in 2027, focusing on guidance and maneuverability. In the future, NATO expects European hypersonic missiles capable of striking targets at a distance of about 2,000 km.

Own engine and potential customers

Hypersonica also plans to develop its own solid-propellant rocket engine. Kert called large rocket boosters a critically scarce component for NATO. The HS-1's first flight used an engine developed by the German Aerospace Center and Bayern-Chemie, but, according to the publication, DLR has ended its cooperation with the startup.

Hypersonica had previously raised slightly more than €25 million. Der Spiegel names Germany and the United Kingdom as the company's possible first customers. At the end of October, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited the startup's office and reviewed the project's status.