Company Overview and Financial Backing

Founded in 2023 by Ethan Thornton, Mach Industries marks the inaugural defense technology investment by Sequoia Capital. The startup has garnered over $80 million in funding, reflecting its potential and attractiveness within the industry.

The Initial Setback

Despite its rapid growth, Mach Industries faced a critical challenge just months before securing a significant investment from Sequoia. An explosion occurred during the testing of a hydrogen gun prototype, injuring a team member and causing extensive damage. This incident was first reported by Forbes.

Addressing Safety Concerns

In a recent interview with TechCrunch during the StrictlyVC event in San Francisco on April 3, Thornton openly addressed the incident for the first time. He attributed the explosion to insufficient safety resources at the time. “At the time, we were trying to self-fund it, and we didn’t have the money to sort of run these procedures the way they should have been,” he remarked.

Following the explosion, the company paused operations until it was able to secure the necessary funding from Sequoia Capital. With these new resources, Thornton stated that Mach has since established a dedicated safety team and is actively collaborating with the U.S. military to develop innovative weapons technologies.

A Strategic Pivot in Focus

Mach Industries has made a strategic decision to pivot away from hydrogen technologies, which Thornton described as “probably a bad tech bet.” Instead, the company is redirecting its efforts towards the development of advanced weaponry. This includes the design of a new cruise missile and an advanced bomb named “Glide,” capable of being launched from near-space conditions.

Recent Contracts and Future Plans

Moreover, the startup secured a contract with the U.S. Army and is establishing a network of decentralized manufacturing facilities dubbed “Forge.” Thornton emphasizes the importance of rapid prototyping as a core component of their growth strategy, stating, “Building a lot of prototypes is a key part of why VCs have poured $85 million into the company.”

He adds, “It’s not necessarily my ability to build these things, but more so our ability to actually work with the federal government to get programs of record built around them.”