Mach Industries

Mach Industries is a defense manufacturing company headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, that develops unmanned aerial systems, munitions and the manufacturing infrastructure to produce them at scale. Its stated mission is to develop and manufacture asymmetric aerospace and defense systems and components in large volumes. The product line includes Viper, a turbojet-powered vertical-takeoff one-way attack UAS that deploys without launcher infrastructure; Glide, a low-cost precision glide munition; Stratos, a high-altitude pseudo-satellite that carries communications, sensors and effects from the stratosphere; Pike, a long-range low-cost munition designed for decentralized modular deployment; and Dart, a low-cost kinetic interceptor for counter-drone operations. The company also offers energetics capabilities spanning solid rocket motors, pyrotechnics, hypergolic propulsion testing, cryogenic testing, high-pressure and high-temperature testing, and explosives testing.

Manufacturing is organized around Forge, described as a network of decentralized, flexible factories that are rapidly retoolable to new designs and that Mach deploys with partner companies and countries, including manufacturing partner designs at scale. The flagship site, Forge Huntington, is a 115,000-square-foot facility in Huntington Beach. Mach Propulsion is the company's tactical engine division, and Mach Energetics is a commercial business selling solid rocket motors following the acquisition of Exquadrum. As of mid-2026 the company reported roughly 350 employees, five autonomous vehicles in development with production expected to begin on at least three, and a sixth vehicle program under a Defense Innovation Unit contract for a Navy runway-independent strike aircraft.

Founding story

Ethan Thornton founded the company after dropping out of MIT at 19 and serves as founder and CEO. The first office was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Thornton and founding team member Ashton Bennett built their own furniture from materials bought at a hardware store because the company was short of cash. Company press materials and press coverage cite a 2023 founding date.

Business model

Mach is vertically integrated across weapons, propulsion and manufacturing, selling unmanned systems and munitions to defense customers while also operating Forge as a manufacturing platform deployed with partner companies and countries, including contract manufacture of partners' designs. Following the Exquadrum acquisition, it also sells solid rocket motors commercially through Mach Energetics; management described the current mix as roughly half government sales and half sales to other companies.

Revenue comes from defense contracts and system sales to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied governments, together with commercial sales of components such as solid rocket motors and contract manufacturing for partner companies. Specific revenue figures have not been disclosed.

Traction

Headcount grew from about a dozen in the first year to roughly 20 in mid-2024, about 140 by June 2025 and about 350 by June 2026. The company opened a 115,000-square-foot Huntington Beach factory, added design and production facilities in other locations, and said it would bring on four new production facilities during 2026. It has secured U.S. Army, Air Force, SOCOM and Defense Innovation Unit work, including an Army Applications Laboratory selection for a vertical takeoff precision cruise missile and a DIU contract for a Navy runway-independent strike aircraft. Cumulative disclosed venture funding reached about $185 million as of the June 2025 Series B, followed by a $300 million Series C in June 2026.

Latest developments

In June 2026 Mach announced a $300 million Series C at a $1.8 billion valuation led by Infinite Capital and Ribbit Capital, with Bedrock Capital, Sequoia Capital and Khosla Ventures participating; the company said it sought $200 million and upsized after oversubscription. In the same period it won a Defense Innovation Unit contract to develop a Navy runway-independent strike aircraft, a sixth vehicle program, and reported plans to bring four new production facilities online by the end of 2026. It also completed the Exquadrum acquisition, selected Nominal to run test infrastructure for its strike and surveillance systems, and launched Venom with Divergent.