Hop Aero
Hop Aero is a Y Combinator-backed (S26) aerospace startup building Rook, an autonomous hypersonic cargo rocket that launches from a standard shipping container and lands up to 250 kg of cargo on unprepared ground as far as 750 km away in about 15 minutes, targeting contested military logistics and high-downtime commercial supply chains. Founded in 2024 by Matija Milenovic (CEO) and Jacob Balaj (CTO), the company won a $1.25M Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR from the Air Force Research Laboratory in September 2025 and has completed an engine hot-fire test and a tethered flight of a small-scale prototype.
Company Facts
- Headquarters: Orange, United States
- Founded: 2024
- Employees: 6
- Type: startup
- Website: https://hop-aero.com
- Industries: Aerospace, Defense, Logistics, Space Technology
Key People at Hop Aero
- Tyson Butterfield — Founding Systems Engineer, Hop Aero
- Matija Milenovic — Co-Founder & CEO, Hop Aero
- Jacob Balaj — Co-Founder & CTO, Hop Aero
- Elizabeth Nava — Business Operations, Hop Aero
- Devin James Rivera Ho — Aerospace Engineer, Hop Aero