Company:Boom Technology

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Boom Technology, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryAerospace industry
FoundedSeptember 26, 2014; 11 years ago (September 26, 2014)
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
FoundersBlake Scholl
Joe Wilding
Josh Krall
HeadquartersCentennial, Colorado
Key people
Blake Scholl (CEO)[1]
ProductsSupersonic aircraft
Number of employees
150[2]
Websiteboomsupersonic.com

Boom Technology, Inc. (trade name Boom Supersonic) is an American company developing the Overture, a supersonic airliner. It has also flight tested a one-third-scale demonstrator, the Boom XB-1, which broke the sound barrier for the first time on January 28, 2025, during a flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port.[3][4][5][1]

History

The company was founded in Denver in 2014.[6] It participated in a Y Combinator startup incubation program in early 2016, and has been funded by Y Combinator, Sam Altman, Paul Graham, Alex Gerko, Michael Moritz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Seraph Group, and others.[7][8]

In March 2017, $33 million was invested by several venture funds: Continuity Fund, RRE Ventures, Palm Drive Ventures, 8VC and Caffeinated Capital.[9] Boom secured $43 million of total financing by April 2017.[10] In 2017, Japan Airlines invested $10 million, as part of a Series B fundraising round that brought the company capital to $156 million by 2020: enough to build the XB-1 demonstrator and complete its testing, and to start early design work on the 60-80-seat airliner.[9][11] As of 2025, the company has raised over $600 million in investor funding.[12]

In January 2022, the company announced plans to build a 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m2) manufacturing facility on a 65-acre (260,000 m2) site at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina.[13] Construction on the facility, named the Overture Superfactory, was completed in June 2024.[14]

In November 2023, a representative of the NEOM Investment Fund announced their investment in Boom at an undisclosed amount.[15] This follows an announcement by Boom of a "strategic investment" in the company from the fund.[16]

If completed, the 60- to 80-seat aircraft, Overture, would be the first supersonic passenger jet since the British-French Concorde which was retired in 2003.[17][1]

Projects

XB-1 demonstrator

Main article: Engineering:Boom XB-1

The Boom XB-1 is a one-third-scale supersonic demonstrator, designed to fly up to Mach 1.3, and powered by three General Electric J85-15 engines with a total of 12,900 pounds-force [lbf] (57 kN) of thrust.[18] It was rolled out in October 2020.[19] It was expected to be flight tested in 2022,[20] but delays pushed the first flight test to March 22, 2024.[21] During the first test flight, the aircraft reached speeds of up to 264 knots (489 km/h; 304 mph) and achieved an altitude of over 7,000 feet (2,100 m).[22] In the ninth test flight on 13 December 2024, the aircraft reached speeds of up to Mach 0.87 or 517 knots (957 km/h; 595 mph) and achieved an altitude of over 27,000 feet (8,200 m).[23]

During the twelfth test flight on 28 January 2025, the aircraft broke the sound barrier three times, reaching speeds up to Mach 1.122, or approximately 650 knots (1,200 km/h; 750 mph) and achieved an altitude of over 35,000 feet (11,000 m).[24] The aircraft became the first privately funded aircraft to break the sound barrier, reaching a speed of Mach 1.122.[25] The company said XB-1 achieved supersonic flight without generating an audible sonic boom that reached the ground after refining its sonic boom models and improving algorithms for predicting Mach cutoff conditions.[26][27] XB-1’s final flight on 10 February 2025 consisted of three more supersonic runs, reaching a top speed of Mach 1.18, or 671 knots (1,243 km/h; 772 mph) and an altitude of over 36,000 feet (11,000 m). During this flight, Boom partnered with NASA to capture a Schlieren image showing the shock waves resulting from XB-1 pushing through the air at supersonic speeds.[28]

Overture airliner

Main article: Engineering:Boom Overture

The Boom Overture is a proposed supersonic transport designed to achieve an airspeed of Mach 1.7 (1,000 kn; 1,800 km/h; 1,100 mph), accommodate 60 to 80 passengers and a planned range of 4,250 nmi (7,870 km; 4,890 mi).[29] Boom said there could be a market for over 1,000 supersonic airliners, and suggests airlines could charge business or first class fares.[10] It decided to use the delta wing configuration of Concorde[30] and make use of composite materials.[9] It is to be powered by four 40,000 pounds-force [lbf] (180 kN) medium bypass turbofan engines.[31]

In January 2021, Boom announced plans to begin Overture test flights in 2027[32] and Boom CEO Blake Scholl "estimates that flights on Overture will be available in 2030."[33]

United Airlines announced in June 2021 that it had signed a deal to purchase 15 Boom Overture aircraft, with an option to buy 35 more.[34][35] American Airlines announced in August 2022 it had agreed to purchase 20 Boom Overture aircraft.[36] Boom’s orders and pre-orders total 130 aircraft from airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines. 

Symphony engine

Main article: Engineering:Boom Symphony

In December 2022, Boom announced the Symphony, a new propulsion system to be designed for the Overture. Boom will work with three companies to develop Symphony: Florida Turbine Technologies for engine design, Colibrium Additive for additive technology design consulting, and StandardAero for maintenance.[37] In April 2025, Boom acquired a former Reaction Engines hypersonic test facility at Colorado Air and Space Port, to serve as the dedicated test site for the Symphony engine.[38]

Mach 4 airliner concept

Boom Supersonic participated in a NASA-led study to develop concept designs and technology roadmaps for a Mach 4 airliner. Boom was part of a team led by Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, alongside Blue Ridge Research and Consulting and Rolls-Royce North American Technologies.[39]

Superpower natural gas turbine

Introduced in December 2025, Superpower is a 42-megawatt (MW) natural gas turbine based on the Symphony engine utilized in the Overture supersonic airliner.[40] This turbine is designed to power AI data centers. It is also intended to generate revenue for Boom while collecting operational data for the Symphony engine.[41] The Superpower maintains a consistent output of 42 MW even at temperatures of up to 110°F (43°C) without derating.[42] It operates without cooling water, fits within an ISO-container-sized enclosure, and shares 80% of its components with the Symphony.[43] Crusoe Energy, an AI infrastructure company collaborating with OpenAI on initiatives such as the Stargate data center, placed an order for 29 units, totaling 1.21 GW, as part of a $1.25 billion backlog.[44] The Superpower is expected to be delivered to Crusoe Energy in 2027.[45]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Batchelor, Tom (2025-02-05). "Boom's Overture to be airborne in 'four years'" (in en-en). https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/booms-overture-to-be-airborne-in-four-years/. 
  2. ↑ "Boom Supersonic". https://www.owler.com/company/boomsupersonic. 
  3. ↑ Prisco, Jacopo (2023-08-03). "Boom wants supersonic plane travel for everyone — but can it deliver?" (in en). https://www.cnn.com/travel/boom-supersonic-ambitions-scn/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick, Thomas Newdick, Tyler (2020-10-07). "Boom Rolls Out Its XB-1 "Baby Boom" Supersonic Demonstrator Jet" (in en). https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36952/boom-rolls-out-its-xb-1-baby-boom-supersonic-demonstrator-jet. 
  5. ↑ O'Hare, Maureen (2025-01-28). "Boom: America's answer to Concorde prepares for first supersonic flight" (in en). https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/28/travel/boom-supersonic-first-flight-break-sound-barrier-mach-1/index.html. 
  6. ↑ Vance, Ashlee (21 March 2016). "This Aerospace Company Wants to Bring Supersonic Civilian Travel Back". Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-21/this-aerospace-company-wants-to-bring-supersonic-civilian-travel-back. 
  7. ↑ Kokalitcheva, Kia (23 March 2016). "This Startup Is Developing Supersonic Planes for Virgin Group". Fortune. http://fortune.com/2016/03/23/boom-supersonic-virgin-deal/. 
  8. ↑ Hill, David (December 18, 2024). "Boom Supersonic founder touts raising $100M from donors including new round of funding OpenAI CEO, LinkedIn co-founder". https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2024/12/18/boom-supersonic-ceo-blake-scholl-funding-aviation.html. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Stephen Trimble (5 Dec 2017). "JAL invests heavily in supersonic Boom". Flightglobal. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-jal-invests-heavily-in-supersonic-boom-443857/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Aaron Karp (May 3, 2017). "Boom CEO sees market for 1,000 supersonic passenger jets by 2035". Air Transport World (Aviation Week). http://atwonline.com/technology/boom-ceo-sees-market-1000-supersonic-passenger-jets-2035. 
  11. ↑ "Boom - Overture" (in en-US). https://boomsupersonic.com/overture. 
  12. ↑ Sider, Sharon Terlep and Alison. "New York to Paris in Under Four Hours? Inside the Effort to Build the Next Concorde" (in en-US). https://www.wsj.com/business/supersonic-jet-travel-plans-02db2c33. 
  13. ↑ Niles, Russ (31 January 2022). "Boom Picks Greensboro For Factory". https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/boom-picks-greensboro-for-factory/. 
  14. ↑ "Boom Supersonic completes construction of Overture Superfactory at PTI in Greensboro" (in en-US). FOX8 WGHP. 2024-06-17. https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/greensboro/boom-supersonic-completes-construction-of-overture-superfactory-at-pti-in-greensboro/. 
  15. ↑ "Saudi Arabia invests in Supersonic Passenger Aircraft Industry | Mohammed AlQahtani posted on the topic | LinkedIn" (in en). https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mohammed-alqahtani-603a36a4_aircraft-startup-boom-activity-7129045112570966016-Rvqg. 
  16. ↑ "Boom - News - Boom Supersonic Announces New Aircraft, Engine, and Investment Milestones" (in en-US). 2023-11-09. https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-announces-new-aircraft-engine-and-investment-milestones. 
  17. ↑ "Boom Supersonic to break sound barrier during historic test flight today: Watch live" (in en-US). 2025-01-28. https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/boom-supersonic-to-break-sound-barrier-during-historic-test-flight-today-watch-live. 
  18. ↑ Guy Norris (Jul 10, 2018). "Boom Focuses On Derivative Engines For Supersonic Airliner Plan". Aviation Week & Space Technology. http://aviationweek.com/propulsion/boom-focuses-derivative-engines-supersonic-airliner-plan. 
  19. ↑ "Boom Supersonic to Roll Out Historic XB-1 Demonstrator Oct. 7" (PDF) (Press release). Boom Supersonic. Jul 8, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  20. ↑ Hemmerdinger, Jon (27 April 2021). "First flight of Boom's XB-1 demonstrator could happen next year". Flight Global. https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/first-flight-of-booms-xb-1-demonstrator-could-happen-next-year-ceo/143485.article. 
  21. ↑ Scholl, Blake (February 23, 2023). "How I Built This -Transcript" (Podcast). Event occurs at 29:06. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved March 11, 2023. " We're going to take it down to the Mojave Desert for flight test probably around the middle of this year."
  22. ↑ "In a world first, Boom's XB-1 supersonic jet soars in test flight". The Times of India. 2024-04-08. ISSN 0971-8257. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/in-a-world-first-booms-xb-1-supersonic-jet-soars-in-test-flight/articleshow/109117973.cms. 
  23. ↑ "XB-1 Flight 9". Boom Supersonic. 2024-12-13. https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/xb-1-live-blog-flight-test-program#flight-9. 
  24. ↑ "Boom Achieves Supersonic Flight". Boom Supersonic. 2025-01-28. https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/boom-achieves-supersonic-flight. 
  25. ↑ Berger, Eric (2025-01-28). "For the first time, a privately developed aircraft has flown faster than sound" (in en-US). https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/for-the-first-time-a-privately-developed-aircraft-has-flown-faster-than-sound/. 
  26. ↑ Hsu, Jeremy (February 10, 2025). "How the XB-1 aircraft went supersonic without a sonic boom". New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2467745-how-the-xb-1-aircraft-went-supersonic-without-a-sonic-boom/. 
  27. ↑ Varley, Len (February 11, 2025). "Breaking the Sound Barrier, Quietly: Boom Supersonic's 'Boomless' Breakthrough". https://aviationsourcenews.com/breaking-the-sound-barrier-quietly-boom-supersonics-boomless-breakthrough/. 
  28. ↑ O'Hare, Maureen (2025-03-03). "Incredible NASA photo captures sound barrier being broken" (in en). https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/travel/boom-supersonic-nasa-photo-sound-barrier-broken. 
  29. ↑ "Overture". https://boomsupersonic.com/overture. 
  30. ↑ Bjorn Fehrm (November 17, 2016). "Will Boom succeed where Concorde failed?". Leeham News. https://leehamnews.com/2016/11/17/will-boom-succeed-concorde-failed/. 
  31. ↑ "Boom Confirms Engine Thrust Growth, Core Part Build Accelerates | Aviation Week Network". https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/boom-confirms-engine-thrust-growth-core-part-build-accelerates. 
  32. ↑ Michael Verdon (January 14, 2021). "Supersonic Aircraft Can Now Be Tested Over Land, FAA Rules". Robb Report. https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/supersonic-aircraft-boost-feds-1234591221/. 
  33. ↑ Hersey, Jon (October 7, 2020). "Reinventing Flight: An Interview with Blake Scholl". The Objective Standard (Glen Allen Press) 15 (4): pp. 9. https://theobjectivestandard.com/2020/10/reinventing-flight-an-interview-with-blake-scholl/. 
  34. ↑ Fox, Chris (June 5, 2021). "United plans supersonic passenger flights by 2029". https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57361193. 
  35. ↑ Bachman, Justin (Jun 3, 2021). "United Bets on Supersonic Future With $3 Billion Boom Jet Order". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-03/united-bets-on-supersonic-future-with-3-billion-boom-jet-order. 
  36. ↑ LeBeau, Phil (2022-08-16). "American Airlines agrees to buy 20 supersonic planes from Boom" (in en). https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/16/american-airlines-agrees-to-buy-20-supersonic-planes-from-boom.html. 
  37. ↑ Pegoraro, Rob (2022-12-13). "Boom Supersonic Finally Picks Engine Provider, and It's Not Who You Think" (in en). https://www.pcmag.com/news/boom-supersonic-finally-picks-engine-provider-and-its-not-who-you-think. 
  38. ↑ Charpentreau, Clement (2025-04-27). "Boom Supersonic secures site for Symphony engine testing" (in en-US). https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/boom-supersonic-acquires-colorado-site-to-test-symphony-engine-for-overture-jet. 
  39. ↑ "Is a Mach 4 Passenger Jet Possible? NASA, Industry Explore Idea - NASA". NASA. 22 August 2023. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/glenn/2023/is-a-Mach-4-Passenger-Jet-Possible-Nasa-Industry-Explore-Idea. 
  40. ↑ "Boom's Supersonic Symphony Engine Superpower Turbine". December 10, 2025. https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/boom-supersonic-symphony-engine-superpower-turbine/. 
  41. ↑ "Boom Supersonic's engine could turn data center heat into power". December 10, 2025. https://newatlas.com/energy/boom-supersonic-engine-data-center/. 
  42. ↑ "Boom Supersonic unveils 42 MW gas turbines to power AI data centers". December 10, 2025. https://www.gasprocessingnews.com/news/2025/12/boom-supersonic-unveils-42-mw-gas-turbines-to-power-ai-data-centers/. 
  43. ↑ "Boom's Supersonic Engine Core Finds New Market Powering AI Data Centers". December 10, 2025. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/booms-supersonic-engine-core-finds-new-market-powering-ai-data-centers/amp. 
  44. ↑ "Crusoe orders 121GW of natural gas turbines from prototype airliner co Boom Supersonic". December 10, 2025. https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/crusoe-orders-121gw-of-natural-gas-turbines-from-prototype-airliner-co-boom-supersonic/. 
  45. ↑ "Supersonic airline outfit Boom unveils turbine for AI data centers". December 11, 2025. https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/supersonic-airline-outfit-boom-unveils-turbine-for-ai-data-centers-42-mw-superpower-turbine-uses-the-same-tech-designed-to-power-concorde-successor-to-mach-1-7-at-60-000-ft. 

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