Velontra

Velontra, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates within the industrials sector, specifically focusing on aviation and space. The company, which is part of the Y-Combinator S22 batch, has a team of four and is known for its groundbreaking work in hypersonic technology. Velontra is developing a space plane capable of taking off from any runway in any weather conditions, using a jet propulsion system. This plane climbs to over 100,000 feet and reaches speeds of Mach 5 before launching a second-stage rocket into Low Earth Orbit. The company’s air-breathing propulsion system is notably fuel-efficient, being up to six times more efficient than traditional rockets and utilizes atmospheric oxygen to increase payload capacity significantly. Velontra has secured millions in government and commercial contracts and letters of intent, underscoring its potential impact on space travel. The company’s achievements include being featured in Forbes for its rapid development of unique hypersonic technology and successfully testing one of the world’s smallest ramjets. Velontra also participated in the 2021 Airforce Contracting Summit at the Defense Leadership Forum.