ALAMEDA, Calif., June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Longshot, the defense and space technology company pioneering ground-based kinetic launch systems, today announced a new $5 million investment from South Park Commons, bringing the company's total funding to $20 million. The investment reflects increasing conviction in Longshot's technical progress and long-term vision to dramatically reduce the cost of reaching hypersonic speeds and, ultimately, space.
The investment comes at a time of growing demand for technologies capable of moving payloads at extreme speeds. Governments are increasing investments in hypersonic capabilities and missile defense, while commercial space companies seek new approaches to scaling access to orbit.
Longshot is developing a fundamentally different approach to launch: a kinetic ground-based launcher designed to propel payloads to hypersonic velocities and create a scalable pathway to orbit. By keeping the infrastructure on Earth, the company aims to dramatically reduce the cost of moving mass at extreme speeds while enabling reliable, high-frequency operations. The technology has potential applications across defense, scientific research, and commercial space infrastructure.
The new capital will support continued development and testing of Longshot's multi-injection accelerator technology, including construction of the company's test gun at an undisclosed location. The facility is designed to accelerate 100-kilogram payloads to speeds exceeding Mach 5 and represents a key step toward larger-scale launch systems.
"For decades, access to space has been constrained by the economics of rockets," said Mike Grace, Founder and CEO of Longshot. "We're pursuing a fundamentally different approach. This investment allows us to expand our testing capabilities and continue building what can become a foundational piece of future aerospace infrastructure."
The investment follows a period of significant progress for the company. Longshot has expanded its engineering and manufacturing capabilities with a massive new hangar and test range, built its newest prototype, nicknamed the “minigun” and officially the largest ballistic launching device in the world today, and secured support from both venture investors and the U.S. government. Longshot has also strengthened its leadership team with industry veterans, including Mark Bigham, former Chief Innovation Officer at Raytheon, who now leads government sales and strategic relations for the company.
"Longshot is rethinking one of the foundational constraints of the space economy: the cost of moving mass at extreme speeds," said Aditya Agarwal, General Partner at South Park Commons. "The team has demonstrated exceptional technical execution, clear progress against ambitious milestones, and the potential to create an entirely new category of launch infrastructure. We're excited to support the team as they enter this next phase of growth."
With $20 million in funding, growing government support, and major testing milestones ahead, Longshot is positioning itself at the forefront of a new generation of launch technologies designed to expand access to hypersonic flight, national security capabilities, and the emerging space economy.
About Longshot
Longshot is an emerging launch company pioneering a kinetic “space gun,” a multi-injection, ground-based accelerator designed to propel payloads to hypersonic velocities. By keeping the infrastructure on Earth, Longshot aims to unlock reliable, high-frequency access to space and expand what is possible for science, commerce, and defense. Backed by Silicon Valley venture capital and U.S. Air Force support, the company is advancing a stepwise path from hypersonic testing to scalable orbital capability.
About South Park Commons
SPC is a technical community and venture fund dedicated to helping founders, researchers, and technologists figure out what to work on next—what we call the -1 to 0 stage of your career. We believe this is best accomplished in the most talent-dense community possible. Our members turn the chaos of possibility into the clarity of conviction.
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