By The Wall Street Journal
Published on March 11, 2024
Tech founders and investors place unlikely bets on superfast missile systems
The U.S. is years behind its biggest rivals in cutting-edge hypersonic missile technology. Silicon Valley is betting it can help the military catch up.
Venture capitalists, better known for pumping money into business-software services and social-media apps, are now deploying hundreds of millions of dollars into developing the technology for hypersonic weapons the U.S. military wants but has struggled to figure out despite decades of trying. China and Russia already have them ready for use on the battlefield. The U.S. doesn’t. Silicon Valley investors and startups want to help fill the gap.