Hypersonica raises €100 million Series B led by Lightspeed and General Catalyst
The Munich-based company, founded in 2023, is developing hypersonic deep-strike systems for European governments and says the money will raise its testing cadence and create jobs in the UK and Germany.
Hypersonica, a British-German defence company developing hypersonic long-range strike systems, has raised a €100 million Series B co-led by Lightspeed and General Catalyst. Existing investors Plural, 201 Ventures and Germany's Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND) also took part.
According to Tech.eu, the company was founded in 2023, is headquartered in Munich with a subsidiary in London, and raised a €23.2 million Series A led by Plural in February 2026. Aviation Week put the new round at about $112 million.
What the money is for
Hypersonica says the Series B will accelerate development of its deep-strike systems, increase its testing cadence and expand operations and manufacturing across Europe. It expects the investment to support the creation of hundreds of skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs in the UK and Germany. The company aims to develop hypersonic deep-strike systems by 2029.
In February, Hypersonica tested its HS-1 prototype, which the company says reached speeds above Mach 6 over a range of more than 300 kilometres. It describes itself as the first privately funded European defence company to reach that milestone, and claims a development model that cuts costs by more than 80% compared with conventional approaches. These are company claims and have not been independently verified.
Co-founders Dr Philipp Kerth (CEO) and Dr Marc Ewenz (CTO) said the debate about whether Europe needs such capabilities is over and that "the challenge now is delivery". They described the Series B as the company's "transition from demonstration to delivery".
The policy backdrop
The round follows a shift in European defence spending from debate to funded programmes. According to Hypersonica, the UK's Defence Investment Plan allocates an initial £770 million over four years to the UK-German Deep Precision Strike (DPS) programme under the Trinity House Agreement. A NATO-led multinational initiative announced in July envisages £37 billion of investment in deep precision strike capabilities over the next decade.
Hypersonica stresses that it develops, owns and controls its technology in Europe and offers what it calls ITAR-free capability, meaning it is not subject to US export controls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That is a selling point for European governments that want to avoid dependence on US approvals.
Investors
Lightspeed partner Alexander Schmitt said the team pairs deep technical expertise with exceptional speed of execution. Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, president and managing director at General Catalyst, said strategic autonomy begins with the ability to build critical technologies "at speed, at scale and at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems".
Both lead investors are US-headquartered firms with large European operations. SPRIND's continued participation shows German public support for the company.
Europe's defence tech funding wave
Hypersonica joins a growing list of well-funded European defence startups. Munich-based Helsing recently unveiled new air defence products, and Destinus acquired AI radar company Perciv. Large financiers are also moving in: Apollo cited defence among the sectors behind its new European Credit Company.
What it means for European founders and investors
Defence is now mainstream VC. A €100 million Series B for a company founded in 2023 shows that top-tier generalist funds are willing to back hardware-heavy defence companies at scale. That was rare in Europe only a few years ago.
Government programmes create demand. Programmes such as the UK-German DPS give startups a clearer path to contracts. Founders in dual-use technology, from materials and propulsion to sensors and software, should map which programmes they can supply.
Sovereignty is a feature. Hypersonica's emphasis on European ownership and ITAR-free technology reflects what buyers increasingly ask for. Startups selling to European defence ministries should be ready to show where their technology and supply chain are controlled.
Long timelines. The 2029 target shows that defence hardware takes years and several rounds of capital. Investors need patience and access to follow-on money.
What happens next
Hypersonica plans more test flights and expansion of its engineering and manufacturing teams in the UK and Germany. The next milestones to watch are further flight tests and any contract awards under the Deep Precision Strike programme.
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