Building Defense Tech in Your 20s: Mach CEO Ethan Thornton’s Bold Mission to Compete with China
Mach CEO Ethan Thornton turned high school weapons projects into a military-backed defense tech startup competing with China.
Matilda
Building Defense Tech in Your 20s: Mach CEO Ethan Thornton’s Bold Mission to Compete with China
Watching someone in their 20s disrupt the traditionally slow-moving defense industry isn’t something you see every day. But that’s exactly what Ethan Thornton, the CEO of Mach, is doing. From building weapons systems in high school to securing a U.S. military contract, Thornton is on a mission that blends innovation, strategy, and geopolitics—especially when it comes to competing with China. Image:Google I followed his conversation with Charles Rollet at the StrictlyVC 2025 event in San Francisco, and it’s safe to say this is one of the most exciting stories coming out of the tech-defense space. From Hobbyist to CEO: How Mach Was Born Ethan Thornton isn’t your typical startup founder. His journey started in high school—yes, you read that right—designing and building weapons systems. That passion carried through college, eventually leading to the birth of Mach, a company that's now working directly with the U.S. military. At its core, Mach aims to revolutionize how modern weapons system…