David Jeans

Ethan Thornton’s vision for Mach Industries wooed investors, but he has been hamstrung by technical challenges, safety hazards and a cavalier approach to leadership.

CX2, which is still in stealth, is being led by serial entrepreneur Nathan Mintz, who co-founded the counter-drone unicorn Epirus.

JC Btaiche, the 24-year-old CEO of Fuse, has raised $20 million and signed on Iran’s former top nuclear scientist and former Pentagon officials to solve fusion.

After Jacob Helberg rallied support for the TikTok ban bill, the former Democratic fundraiser has become one of Silicon Valley’s conduits to former president Donald Trump.

Chris Kirchner was arrested in 2023 following a Forbes investigation that revealed he overstated company financials and spent lavishly on personal expenses.

Austin-based Saronic launched in 2022 and is raising $175 million to help it build a fleet of military drone boats.

Led by Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, 8VC employs two children of alleged Kremlin allies on its investment team.

From mom and pop shops to Fortune 500 firms, companies are being overwhelmed with job applications from North Korea.

YC’s bet on Ares, which hopes to make anti-ship missiles smaller and cheaper, is the latest example of Silicon Valley courting the Pentagon.

Defense tech startup Second Front, which gives companies a quick on-ramp to deploying software within sensitive government networks, has raised $75 million.