HyperSciences
HyperSciences (dba General Hypersonics) develops a proprietary ram accelerator engine called HyperCore that shoots projectiles at 3-5x the speed of sound, serving mining, civil tunneling, energy, aerospace, and U.S. Department of Defense customers with faster and lower-cost drilling and hypersonic research solutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSpokane, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What HyperSciences does
HyperSciences, Inc. (also doing business as General Hypersonics) is a Spokane, Washington-based private company founded in 2014 that develops and commercializes hypervelocity projectile technology for industrial applications. Its core product, HyperCore, is a proprietary ram accelerator engine that uses jet-engine-like ramjet or scramjet combustion cycles to accelerate low-cost, erodible projectiles to 3-5x the speed of sound. The system pairs this physical platform with machine learning, LIDAR targeting, and forward-looking acoustic signature analysis to tune impact velocity, projectile size, and shot placement for precision rock removal. The technology is licensed from the University of Washington, with the company holding exclusive rights to the baffle tube ram accelerator.
HyperSciences commercializes HyperCore through three application-specific offerings: HyperDrill for mining and energy drilling, Hyper Tunneling for civil tunneling projects, and an aerospace line targeting hypersonic research and first-stage rocket replacement. The company targets major mining companies, civil construction firms, energy companies, and aerospace/defense organizations, supplemented by U.S. Department of Defense SBIR contract revenue. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the company claims approximately 30% lower cost per bank cubic meter than drill and blast and 3-5x faster penetration than both drill and blast and tunnel boring machines, supported by multi-year enterprise contracts.
The company has raised approximately $13 million cumulatively from angel investors, VCs, and Regulation A investors via SeedInvest and other channels, holds 60-68 patents (23-33 issued), and maintains named partnerships with Shell, NASA, and undisclosed global mining and energy companies. It is led by founder and CEO Mark Russell (Stanford Aero/Astro, ex-Blue Origin) with CFO/General Counsel Michelle Carbon, and senior advisors including Mike McSherry (founder of Xealth, co-founder of Boost Mobile). Most recently, the company achieved a world-first rocketless ram-accelerated Mach 3+ launch in September 2025 under a $1.7 million Phase 2 DoD SBIR contract awarded in April 2025.
HyperSciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HyperSciences
- Legal name
- HyperSciences Inc.
- Website
- https://hypersciences.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- HyperSciences (dba General Hypersonics) develops a proprietary ram accelerator engine called HyperCore that shoots projectiles at 3-5x the speed of sound, serving mining, civil tunneling, energy, aerospace, and U.S. Department of Defense customers with faster and lower-cost drilling and hypersonic research solutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HyperSciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial mining and tunneling drilling equipment
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)
- SIC
- Engines & Turbines (3510), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hypersonic Systems (Weapons & Defense) (IMABAOAG)
Keywords
Where HyperSciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spokane
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HyperSciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Mining and Drilling Equipment/Services: Revenue from providing hypervelocity drilling solutions to mining companies for hard rock penetration, replacing traditional drill and blast methods. Equipment can be deployed in underground mines for continuous mining operations.
- Tunneling Solutions: Civil tunneling projects using HyperCore technology to complete projects in a fraction of time compared to traditional methods, offering faster time-to-completion for infrastructure projects.
- DoD SBIR Contracts: Phase 2 SBIR contract from U.S. Department of Defense for hypersonic technology advancement. The September 2025 achievement of world-first rocketless ram-accelerated Mach 3+ launch was under a DoD contract.
- Aerospace Applications: Providing equipment to orbital suppliers as a first-stage rocket replacement. Focus on hypersonic research in the short term, with potential for significant aerospace revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | HyperCore mining/tunneling deployment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
HyperSciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HyperSciences develops and sells the HyperCore ram-accelerator system, a proprietary engine that uses low-cost chemical energy to fire projectiles at hypersonic velocities (3-5x the speed of sound) for hard rock penetration. The company commercializes this through HyperDrill for mining and energy drilling and Hyper Tunneling for civil tunneling, replacing traditional drill-and-blast and tunnel boring machine methods. Applications extend to aerospace (first-stage rocket replacement, hypersonic research) and defense under DoD SBIR contracts.
Product overview
HyperSciences offers a unified product platform centered on its proprietary HyperCore™ technology, a ram accelerator engine that shoots projectiles at 3-5x the speed of sound. The company commercializes this core technology through application-specific products including HyperDrill (for drilling and mining) and Hyper Tunneling (for civil tunneling projects). These products replace traditional drill and blast methods by using hypersonic projectile impact to pulverize hard rock, offering faster, safer, and more cost-effective solutions for the mining, tunneling, energy drilling, and aerospace industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HyperCore: Proprietary launch system based on Ram Accelerator technology that utilizes low-cost chemical energy to accelerate projectiles to extreme velocities (3-5x speed of sound) for drilling, mining, and tunneling applications.
Products and services
- HyperCore Proprietary ram accelerator launch system that uses low-cost chemical energy to accelerate projectiles to hypersonic velocities (3-5x speed of sound) using ramjet/scramjet-like combustion cycles, paired with machine learning, laser guidance, and robotics. It is the foundational platform for HyperSciences' mining, tunneling, energy, and aerospace products.
- HyperDrill HyperSciences' drilling solution that uses the HyperCore engine to fire hypersonic projectiles that pulverize hard rock for geothermal, energy, and mining applications, replacing conventional drill bits and drill-and-blast methods with continuous, remote-capable operation.
- Hyper Tunneling Civil tunneling solution using the HyperCore engine to rapidly excavate tunnels through hard rock by repeatedly firing hypersonic projectiles that pulverize rock, with LIDAR targeting and acoustic signature analysis preserving tunnel bore integrity and enabling projects to complete in a fraction of the time of traditional methods.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3-5x faster rock penetration compared to drill and blast and tunnel boring machines
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HyperSciences
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HyperSciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
HyperSciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ShellcoreShell partnered with HyperSciences for demonstration of hypervelocity drilling technology. Demo conducted in Winter 2019 to explore applications of the technology for energy sector drilling operations.
- NASAcoreNASA partnership for aerospace applications and hypersonic research. HyperSciences provides equipment to orbital suppliers as a first-stage rocket replacement.
- Undisclosed Global Mining CompanycorePartnership with an undisclosed mining company with global operations for application of hypervelocity drilling technology in mining operations.
- Undisclosed Global Energy CompanycorePartnership with an undisclosed energy company with global operations for energy sector applications of the technology.
- University of WashingtoncoreLicensed core Ram Accelerator technology from University of Washington, where it was originally invented. Also holds exclusive rights for the baffle tube ram accelerator developed by the university.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HyperSciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Boring Company: Disrupts tunneling with novel, faster, lower-cost technology for civil infrastructure — directly comparable to HyperSciences' tunneling value proposition. Both target the same pain points (speed, cost, and capital intensity of TBM-driven tunneling) and pursue non-traditional customers for tunnel excavation.
Broad incumbents
- Sandvik: Major supplier of underground mining and rock excavation equipment, including drills for hard-rock applications. Sandvik's installed base and service network represent both a competitive threat and a potential partnership/distribution channel for HyperSciences' HyperDrill.
- Caterpillar: Major mining equipment OEM serving surface and underground hard rock mining with drills, loaders, and trucks. Comparable as the incumbent whose customers HyperSciences targets for HyperDrill adoption.
- Epiroc: Provides drilling and rock excavation solutions for mining and infrastructure customers worldwide — directly comparable to HyperSciences' mining and tunneling offering, with established relationships across the same enterprise buyers.
- Herrenknecht: Global leader in tunnel boring machines across transportation, utility, and mining segments — the entrenched incumbent that HyperSciences' HyperCore tunneling solution aims to displace on speed and capital cost.
- Komatsu: Global mining and construction equipment manufacturer with significant underground hard rock mining exposure. Comparable to HyperSciences as a broad incumbent serving the same enterprise mining customer base with drilling and excavation solutions.
Emerging players
- Stratolaunch: Builds hypersonic test platforms and operates in the hypersonic research and defense ecosystem where HyperSciences' Mach 3+ ram accelerator is positioned. Comparable as a private aerospace company pursuing hypersonic capabilities and government/defense partnerships.
- MineSense Technologies: Provides sensing and digital solutions to mining shovels for ore grade optimization. Comparable as an emerging mining technology company pursuing productivity gains in hard rock mining — adjacent to HyperSciences' value proposition of using advanced technology to disrupt traditional mining workflows.
- Relativity Space: Venture-backed private aerospace company using unconventional, novel manufacturing and propulsion approaches to disrupt launch. Comparable to HyperSciences as a private deep-tech aerospace startup pursuing first-stage rocket replacement and hypersonic-class capabilities.
- Hermeus: Developing hypersonic aircraft for defense and commercial applications using advanced propulsion concepts. Comparable to HyperSciences in the emerging hypersonic propulsion space and as a venture-backed private aerospace company targeting DoD hypersonic investment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HyperSciences social profiles
Digital presenceHyperSciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HyperSciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
HyperSciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HyperSciences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HyperSciences
What does HyperSciences do?
HyperSciences develops and sells the HyperCore ram-accelerator system, a proprietary engine that uses low-cost chemical energy to fire projectiles at hypersonic velocities (3-5x the speed of sound) for hard rock penetration. The company commercializes this through HyperDrill for mining and energy drilling and Hyper Tunneling for civil tunneling, replacing traditional drill-and-blast and tunnel boring machine methods. Applications extend to aerospace (first-stage rocket replacement, hypersonic research) and defense under DoD SBIR contracts.
Is HyperSciences a public or private company?
HyperSciences is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was HyperSciences founded?
HyperSciences was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is HyperSciences based?
HyperSciences is headquartered in Spokane, United States, in the North America region.
How does HyperSciences make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Mining and Drilling Equipment/Services are the primary driver. The others are tunneling Solutions, doD SBIR Contracts and aerospace Applications.
Who are HyperSciences's main competitors?
The Boring Company is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Sandvik, Caterpillar, Epiroc, Herrenknecht and Komatsu. Emerging players are Stratolaunch, MineSense Technologies, Relativity Space and Hermeus.
Does HyperSciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for HyperSciences.
What industry is HyperSciences in?
HyperSciences's product category is Industrial mining and tunneling drilling equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAOAG, Hypersonic Systems (Weapons & Defense). Its NAICS code is 336415 and its SIC code is 3510.