Boom Supersonic's "Starlink Moment": Selling Jet Engines to Power AI
- Boom Supersonic raised $300 million to build "Superpower" natural gas turbines for data centers using the same engine technology designed for their Overture aircraft.
- The company secured a $1.25 billion contract with Crusoe to supply 1.21 gigawatts of power which effectively monetizes the AI energy boom to fund supersonic jet development.
- CEO Blake Scholl models this strategy after SpaceX's Starlink and aims to deliver the first stationary power units by 2027 to generate recurring revenue.
Boom Supersonic is executing a strategic pivot that mirrors the successful playbook of Elon Musk and SpaceX. The aviation startup announced on Tuesday that it has raised $300 million to manufacture stationary power plants for the voracious data center market. This new venture serves as a financial engine to fund its primary ambition of reviving supersonic commercial travel. The company has already secured its first major customer in a deal valued at over $1.25 billion. Data center operator Crusoe has agreed to purchase twenty nine of Boom's proprietary turbines to generate electricity for its energy intensive operations.
The hardware at the center of this deal is a modified version of the Symphony engine designed for the Overture aircraft. Boom claims that the stationary "Superpower" turbine shares 80 percent of its parts with its airborne counterpart. This synergy allows the company to scale production and lower costs for both product lines simultaneously. Crusoe will deploy these natural gas turbines to generate 1.21 gigawatts of power which is enough to support the massive computational load required by modern artificial intelligence. The first units are scheduled for delivery in 2027.
CEO Blake Scholl explicitly compares this strategy to SpaceX’s Starlink internet service. Just as satellite revenue funds rocket development Scholl bets that selling power equipment will bankroll the expensive certification of supersonic jets. The economics are aggressive as Crusoe is paying approximately $1,033 per kilowatt of capacity. This price point is on the higher end of the market but reflects the desperate demand for immediate power solutions in the AI sector. The funding round was led by Darsana Capital Partners with participation from major tech investors including Y Combinator and Ark Invest.
Scaling this manufacturing capability represents a significant hurdle for the young company. Boom plans to produce its first units at existing facilities before expanding into a dedicated factory capable of churning out gigawatts of capacity annually by 2030. While the turbines target a standard 39 percent efficiency the company is developing upgrades to boost that figure significantly. If successful this dual use model could help Boom cross the notorious "valley of death" that often kills hardware startups before they can bring their primary products to market.