Castelion hits $13B valuation to mass-produce hypersonic missiles
Defense startup Castelion has raised $1 billion at a $13 billion valuation to accelerate the production of hypersonic missiles. The company aims to help the U.S. military close the gap in hypersonic weapon capabilities compared to China.
Why it matters
The rapid scaling of defense startups reflects a shift in military procurement toward private sector innovation to maintain geopolitical strategic advantages.
Castelion , a missile startup founded by former SpaceX executives, has raised a $1 billion Series C at a $13 billion valuation. The round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz, Carlyle, and JP Morgan Chase.
Founded in 2022, Castelion set out to manufacture hypersonic weapon systems at a lower cost and at faster speeds than traditional defense primes. Since then, the startup has secured more than $500 million in U.S. military contracts.
The funding for the startup is timely. The Pentagon has been looking to procure more of these weapons, since the U.S.’s stockpile of hypersonic missiles capable of travelling at speeds above Mach 5 hasn’t kept pace with China’s. Castelion is betting it can help close the gap with its faster manufacturing process.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in