Ethan Thornton, founder of Mach Industries, dropped out of MIT at 19 to build weapons. His company is now running six simultaneous weapons programs. Thornton believes that unmanned systems will redefine warfare and that the US is moving too slowly to meet the moment. Mach Industries has raised roughly $485 million altogether and has won around 13 government contracts.
The company is working on various projects, including a vertical-takeoff strike aircraft and a long-range anti-ship missile. Thornton argues that the US can't out-manufacture China, so it has to out-create it by finding the first-mover advantage.
Mach's approach differs from its peers, with the company focusing on multiple projects simultaneously. Thornton insists that the field isn't zero-sum and that multiple companies can coexist in the defense tech industry.
