# Hop Aero: drone company

Canonical ID: `63348d1e-1f0b-41a1-9e4a-7b2193c5c627`

## Key facts

- **CEO:** [Matija Milenovic](/people/matija-milenovic.md)
- **CTO & Co-founder:** [Jacob Balaj](/people/jacob-balaj.md)
- **YC Batch:** Summer 2026 (S26)
- **Funding:** [$3M pre-seed](/investors.md) ([see investors](/investors.md))
- **Air Force contract:** $1.25M SBIR (DoW)
- **Team size:** 6
- **Payload:** 250 kg (550 lbs)
- **Range:** 750 km (450 miles)
- **Flight time:** ~15 minutes
- **Launch method:** Standard 40-foot shipping container
- **Landing:** Unprepared surfaces, no runway required
- **Speed class:** Hypersonic
- **Milestones:** Tethered flight test completed; engine hot-fire completed
- **Use case:** Military logistics, contested environments, time-critical commercial delivery

- **Slug:** hop-aero
- **Status:** private
- **Founded:** 2024
- **HQ:** Los Angeles, CA, USA
- **Category:** [Drones](/drones)

## Models

- [Rook](/models/rook.md) (aerial) (id: `84bedf4b-5bd7-45f6-b6a5-67bd27e5c754`)

## Current leadership (4)

- [Matija Milenovic](/people/matija-milenovic.md) Founder & CEO (secondary-verified)
- [Matija Milenovic](/people/matija-milenovic.md) Co-founder (secondary-verified)
- [Jacob Balaj](/people/jacob-balaj.md) Co-founder & CTO (secondary-verified)
- [Jacob Balaj](/people/jacob-balaj.md) Co-founder (secondary-verified)

## Partnerships (1)

- [Hop Aero x US Air Force (Rocket Cargo SBIR)](/partnerships/hop-aero-x-us-air-force-rocket-cargo-sbir.md) with US Air Force _development_

## Supplies to

_No verified supply relationships on file. Supply-chain coverage is being added across the registry; check back as the seed populates this company's outbound edges._

_Outbound supply edges. Each appears when verified with at least two strong sources. Sources are append-only; corrections add new sources rather than rewrite history._

## Common questions

### What is Hop Aero?

Hop Aero is a Y Combinator S26 startup building autonomous hypersonic cargo rockets for point-to-point delivery to contested environments. Its vehicle, Rook, delivers 250 kg (550 lbs) of cargo up to 750 km (450 miles) in approximately 15 minutes — faster than any existing transportation method. Rook launches from a standard 40-foot shipping container and lands on unprepared surfaces, requiring no runways or fixed infrastructure. The company has won a $1.25M US Air Force contract and completed tethered flight testing of its prototype.

### What does Hop Aero make?

Hop Aero has 1 robot model on the DEPLOY registry: Rook (Hop Aero builds physical robots).

### Is Hop Aero publicly traded?

No. Hop Aero is privately held and not publicly traded, per the DEPLOY registry.

### How can I invest in Hop Aero?

Hop Aero is a private company; its shares are not available on public markets, so retail investors cannot buy the stock today.

### Where is Hop Aero headquartered?

Hop Aero is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

### Who owns Hop Aero?

Hop Aero is privately held; ownership sits with its founders and private investors.

### Where does Hop Aero operate robots?

Hop Aero is a robot manufacturer and does not directly operate deployments on the DEPLOY registry. Its products are deployed by customer operators; see the company page for the verified deployment record.

### When was Hop Aero founded?

Hop Aero was founded in 2024.


## Sources (3)

1. **Hop Aero: Rocket cargo delivery to contested environments** · https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/hop-aero · 2026-07-28
2. **Hop Aero — company website** · https://hop-aero.com/ · 2026-07-28
3. **Matija Milenovic — Founder of Hop Aero** · https://x.com/milenovic925501 · 2026-07-28

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