Defense aviation company Hermeus hit the $1 billion "unicorn" mark this week following the announcement of a $350 million Series C ($200 million in venture capital and a $150 million debt financing).
On top of the capital injection led by returning investor Khosla Ventures, the Atlanta-founded company announced it is packing up and moving its HQ to El Segundo, the city directly south of Los Angeles International Airport.
Hermeus will keep its facility open in Atlanta, shifting its focus to production. No layoffs in Atlanta are planned, per reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The company is actively hiring for engineering talent both in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Hermeus is building unmanned aircraft for national security missions, working with the Department of Defense and other governmental organizations. Other investors in the company include NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and Sam Altman. The team includes more than 275 employees spread across Atlanta, Los Angeles, DC, and Jacksonville.
"Speed is life for us," said AJ Piplica, Founder and CEO of Hermeus. "This new funding lets us build multiple aircraft at the same time and scale our manufacturing capabilities."
The move represents a loss for Atlanta's aerospace and defense tech ecosystem, though the retention of production facilities offers some consolation.
