Young Ex-DOGE Engineer Launches Defense Startup Targeting Pentagon Work

Ethan Shaotran, 22, left the Department of Government Efficiency in January and has now registered Blitz Industries in Delaware, positioning it for federal procurement. The Hawthorne-based startup incorporates AI and autonomous systems expertise. Shaotran, a Harvard dropout, says it is backed by prominent investors. The move comes as defense tech startups attracted $49.1 billion in venture capital last year.