The start of hypersonic weapons Castiline According to sources and documents seen by the Tech Crunch, Light -Speed Venture is increasing the $ 350 million series B, headed by Partners and Ultimate Capital.
Rounds, which value the company in the billions, are expected to close in weeks. A term sheet has been signed. The new era, which closed in January, has come to the Million of 100 million heels in the Series A Fund. During this period, about $ 70 million was equalized and a loan of $ 30 million. Light speed also led the period.
Costlin refused to comment.
It is difficult for non -traditional players to go to the government defense market for a large scale, but Casteline has made significant progress in the end of 2023. The company, which was laid by former Space X -executives, wants to change the manufacture of a major national security technology, hypersonic missile system.
Despite the US Department of Defense’s major budget, military leaders are alarming China’s rapid growth and field hypersonic capacity. These weapons travel over 5.
Castiline is proposing a solution. The business takes a similar approach to Space X: Build quickly, test frequently, and integrate vertically to reduce costs. It has already won a grant and award from a DOD offices suit, which includes the Air Force Research Laboratory and Naval Air Systems Command. The company tested its hypersonic vehicle for the first time in the Mosque Desert in March, as it seems to prove the government to prove that it could field low -cost hypersonic missiles.
Castiline appeared in the US military fiscal year 2026 Budget request Published in June. In the budget, the Military Branch has requested Million 25 million under a move called Project HX3 to support the development and testing of the “cheap, widespread hypersonic weapon” called Black Beard Ground Launch (GL). As stated in the document, the Black Bird GL will have about 80 80 % of the long -range hypersonic weapons capacity, which is currently developed by aerospace prime. But through the agreement, the military is saying that it is ready to trade a little for low -cost products and in the limits.
The upcoming agreement, which is primarily a deal when President Trump signed the budget law, has two steps: the first castle will present the “prototy -proof -of -concept” that will appear in the early 2026. If this is successful, the second phase will use a standard launcher platform to supply 10 prototype missiles in 2027 in which a standard launcher platform will be used. Black Bayard is also being designed to harmonize with a new launcher system that will have independent skills.
All the past wins with the DOD are a complex compared to the possibilities provided by a lucrative hypersonic biopsy market. If the Army field testing runs well, Castiline can ink on a major deal and start supplying Black Bayed missiles in the early 2028.
Lockheed Martin, Ritheven, and Northrop Gromeman want to see their backs.