LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hermeus, a venture-backed defense aviation company, today announced the appointment of Sameer Rao as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Rao brings 30 years of experience across technology, finance, and operations, with deep expertise guiding hardware companies through periods of rapid growth.
Sameer served as Chief Financial Officer at the deep-tech hardware company Enevate for nearly a decade, guiding the company through several fundraising rounds. Prior to that, he led finance strategy at MaxLinear, a NASDAQ-listed semiconductor company, as well as at Broadcom Corporation, where he served as both a financial leader and a product and program manager for the Power Management unit of their Mobile and Wireless group. He began his career as a technical contributor on several successful engineering projects at Rockwell International and Conexant Systems.
As CFO, Rao will lead Hermeus' finance organization and help scale the company's operations as it accelerates development and production of its fleet of high-speed aircraft.
"Our mission is to build the world's fastest aircraft, and getting there means building a company that can scale just as fast," said Zach Shore, CEO of Hermeus. "Sameer's experience growing complex hardware organizations will be instrumental in helping Hermeus build the operational discipline we need to keep moving at the rapid pace we've set for ourselves."
Following its $350 million Series C financing, Hermeus is rapidly expanding its team and footprint to accelerate the development of their high-speed aircraft. Rao's appointment reinforces the company's focus on building the operational foundation needed to deliver these aircraft at scale.
About Hermeus
Hermeus is reclaiming the lost art of rapid prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in history. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration over traditional risk-averse development cycles, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. Working with the Department of War, we provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage.
Media Contact
Farshad Shadloo, VP, Marketing & Communications
770-687-7033
press@hermeus.com
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