Hadrian Expands to Mesa With $200M Investment, Fueling Arizona’s Rise as a Defense Manufacturing Hub

The Thiel-backed startup will open its largest factory yet in Arizona, with plans for 350 new jobs and a focus on AI-powered production.

Hadrian, a fast-growing defense manufacturing startup backed by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, has chosen Mesa, Arizona, as the site of its largest facility yet—marking a major milestone in the state’s push to become a national leader in advanced manufacturing.