Ethan Thornton, CEO of Mach, revealed his journey from building weapons systems in high school to leading a defense tech company that recently secured a contract with the U.S. military. During an interview at the StrictlyVC 2025 event in San Francisco, he shared insights on Mach's plans to establish cross-functional factories and its strategy to compete against China. Thornton's early experiences in weapon development have shaped his vision for the company, emphasizing innovation in defense technology.