Science & Technology

He Dropped Out of MIT at 19 to Build America’s Drone Arsenal. It’s Working | StrictlyVC LA 2026

Ethan Thornton started Mach Industries at 16, dropped out of MIT, and is now running six simultaneous defense programs: jet engines, cruise missiles, a surface-to-air missile system, and a new 40-foot VTOL strike aircraft just contracted by the U.S. Navy. At StrictlyVC Los Angeles 2026, TechCrunch Editor in Chief Connie Loizos sat down with the…

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Ethan Thornton started Mach Industries at 16, dropped out of MIT, and is now running six simultaneous defense programs: jet engines, cruise missiles, a surface-to-air missile system, and a new 40-foot VTOL strike aircraft just contracted by the U.S. Navy.

At StrictlyVC Los Angeles 2026, TechCrunch Editor in Chief Connie Loizos sat down with the Mach Industries founder and CEO for a rare on-stage conversation about what it actually takes to build a serious defense hardware company from scratch — and why the U.S. has no choice but to move faster.

8 Comments

  1. @WakenBoi

    June 20, 2026 at 12:01 pm

    Nepobaby silverspoon

    • @rangeroverr3874

      June 20, 2026 at 4:17 pm

      I don’t think so what made u say that

    • @Observe411

      June 20, 2026 at 7:54 pm

      You probably majored in gender studies.

  2. @bobbobby1438

    June 20, 2026 at 12:11 pm

    Very smart kid

  3. @BrianDarcy-o1l

    June 20, 2026 at 5:11 pm

    Should ask him about implanting a hardcore profit-before-people ideology into AI robotics???

    • @w.e.b_b

      June 20, 2026 at 5:19 pm

      LOLOLOL so America should focus more on having people sharpening spears instead of developing a new weapon? Gtfo

  4. @viuo-o4p

    June 20, 2026 at 6:40 pm

    This guy raised over 100 million
    And have his employees design the weapons
    His weapons is worse then andril most of his weapons he designed already existed

  5. @ChaitanyaJongra

    June 21, 2026 at 2:55 am

    a great founder.
    moves really fast and gets shit done.

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