From stealth mode to center stage, Mach Industries is bringing AI into one of the world’s most complex and controversial sectors: defense. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Ethan Thornton, CEO and founder of Mach Industries, steps onto the AI Stage to share what it takes to build in high-stakes environments where speed and autonomy matter most — and why next-gen infrastructure starts with rethinking the fundamentals.

Inside the AI arms race — and the founder aiming to rewrite it
Thornton launched Mach Industries out of MIT in 2023 with a bold…








