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Castelion

ApplicationTorrance, CA, USA; Rio Rancho, NM; Allen, TX; Washington, D.C.Founded 2022· One of 434 Application companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops hypersonic strike weapons (e.g., Blackbeard) using additive manufacturing and automation for mass production, targeting defense applications with rapid iteration and vertical integration.

CEO / Founder
Bryon Hargis
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Growth Stage
Total Funding
$464.2M
Latest Round
Series B
Key Investors
Altimeter Capital; Lightspeed Venture Partners; Lavrock Ventures; Andreessen Horowitz; General Catalyst; First In; Space VC; Cantos; BlueYard; Avenir; Champion Hill; Interlagos; Silicon Valley Bank

Technology & Products

Key Products

Blackbeard hypersonic weapon system; Second hypersonic product line in development (mentioned Series B news)

Technological Advantage

Proprietary AM processes for hypersonic components (claimed to reduce lead times and costs); defensible through trade secrets and government contracts; replicable by competitors but with high barriers due to scale and integration.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces hypersonic weapon production lead times and costs through AM-enabled scalable manufacturing, enabling over 1,000 missiles annually with iterative design cycles and high-cadence testing.

How They Differentiate

Focuses on AM-enabled hypersonic weapon production vs. traditional precision manufacturing; 3x faster iteration cycles through vertical integration and testing; targets mass production (1,000+ missiles/year) vs. niche ordnance.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

U.S. Department of Defense (Army, Navy, Air Force), allied defense agencies

Industry Verticals

Aerospace; Defense

Competitors

General Dynamics OTS Anniston; Action; Nammo Pocal; Greene Metal Products

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Revenue reported at $51.5M in 2025 with 97 employees; secured $49.9M Navy contract Feb 2026, $105M Navy F/A-18 contract April 2026, $23.4M delivery order June 2026; Department of War framework agreement for 500+ missiles/year May 2026; Project Ranger campus expected to create 300+ jobs

Major Milestones

Founded in November 2022; Raised $14.2M pre-seed in 2023; Secured $100M Series A in 2024; Closed $350M Series B in December 2025; Awarded $49.9M U.S. Navy contract February 2026; Awarded $105M U.S. Navy F/A-18 integration contract April 2026; Signed Department of War framework agreement for 500+ missiles/year May 2026; Awarded $23.4M Navy delivery order for 50 Blackbeard prototypes June 2026; Partnered with Saronic for maritime hypersonic launch June 2026

Notable Customers

U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Department of War (Department of Defense)

https://www.castelion.com

Recent coverage of Castelion

Why this company matters

Castelion develops hypersonic strike weapons such as the Blackbeard system, using additive manufacturing and automation to shift defense production from low-volume, high-cost precision machining to scalable, iterative manufacturing. Founded in 2022 and based in Torrance, California, the company applies a vertically integrated model that combines metal AM, automated assembly, and rapid flight testing to compress development cycles and reduce per-unit costs.

The company's core technology centers on proprietary metal AM processes for hypersonic components, which it claims can cut lead times and costs compared to traditional forging and machining. Castelion targets production of over 1,000 missiles annually, a volume that requires repeatable AM workflows and automated post-processing. The company relies on trade secrets rather than patents to protect its process know-how, a defensible strategy given the high barriers to replicating its integrated production system.

Castelion's primary customer is the U.S. Department of Defense, with active contracts from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. A $50 million Navy contract awarded in February 2026 underscores early government confidence. The company also partners with Manufacturo for manufacturing execution software and is building the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico, expected to create over 300 jobs. Its team of roughly 100 employees, many from SpaceX and other aerospace primes, brings a commercial hardware development ethos to defense contracting.

The company has raised $464.2 million from investors including Altimeter Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Andreessen Horowitz. Revenue reached $51.5 million in 2025. Castelion competes with traditional ordnance manufacturers such as General Dynamics OTS Anniston and Nammo Pocal, differentiating through AM-enabled iteration cycles that it claims are three times faster than conventional methods. The open question is whether the company can sustain production reliability at scale and secure follow-on contracts beyond initial awards.