DOGE’s Ethan Shaotran Is Now Running a Defense Tech Startup
One of The first members of the so-called Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) are embarking on their second act as the founder of a defense technology startup. Ethan Shaotran, one of the young engineers who formed the core of the group’s first strike force, is the founder of a new startup called Blitz Industries. The company’s website doesn’t provide any information, but in an email seen by WIRED, Shaotran describes Blitz as “a defense company backed by big names.”
At DOGE, Shaotran was part of the team that created a makeshift headquarters in the offices of the General Services Administration (GSA) before rolling out across the federal government. Shaotran, who left Harvard University during his senior year to join DOGE, has appeared at several agencies, including the GSA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Social Security Administration, the US Postal Service, the US African Development Foundation and the Inter-American Foundation. While Shaotran was at the SSA, DOGE transferred thousands of immigrants into the agency’s “Master Death File,” shutting down their Social Security numbers and removing their right to work or access government benefits.
Shaotran left the federal government in January, according to his LinkedIn, and is now based in Los Angeles. In his biography, Shaotran describes himself as “a Harvard engineer, four-time patent inventor, and published researcher on autonomous systems.” He also writes: “Quick hiring! » in his biography.
The System for Award Management (SAM), the U.S. government procurement website where most contractors and grantees must register, lists a company called “Blitz Industries, Inc.” as recently registered in the system, classified as companies that do “research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences (except nanotechnology and biotechnology).” A source who previously worked on SAM, and who spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, says registering on the system is usually a precursor to landing government contracts.
The address listed in the registration is located in Hawthorne, California, across the street from SpaceX headquarters. WIRED was able to identify a company called “Blitz Industries, Inc.” which was registered in Delaware on February 12, 2026, approximately a month after Shaotran left the federal government. Delaware registration documents show an annual tax assessment of $176,986 and 25,000,000 shares authorized. There does not appear to be a registered business entity in California, although the physical office address appears to be in that state.
It’s unclear whether Shaotran has ever secured government contracts, and he did not respond to a phone call requesting an interview about the company.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the Pentagon is expanding the pool of contractors it is willing to work with, paving the way for smaller, newer companies to access the hundreds of billions of dollars available in the defense budget. Venture funds have invested more than $49.1 billion in defense technology startups in 2025 alone. Venture capital firm a16z, under its American Dynamism practice, has invested heavily in defense startups. In March 2025, the company published an introduction to obtaining contracts with the Pentagon. Gavin Kliger, another young DOGE engineer, is now chief data officer at the Department of Defense, where he will oversee the agency’s AI strategy.
Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, says that while the U.S. government has the capacity to innovate as quickly and as widely as private companies, particularly in weapons and military innovation, it is suspicious of a company run by a former DOGE member.
