Gov. on Nov. 2 celebrated the winners of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association's “Coolest Thing Made in California” contest, held during Manufacturing Month in October.

Stratolaunch's Talon-A, which the governor's office called the nation's only reusable, autonomous hypersonic flight-test vehicle, won the large manufacturers bracket. Phenix Technology's First Due Fire Helmet won the small and medium-sized manufacturers bracket. More than 124,000 people voted over six weeks, the office said.

Other finalists among large manufacturers were Astranis of San Francisco, maker of the MicroGEO communications satellite; Intuitive Surgical of Sunnyvale, maker of the da Vinci Surgical System; and Muon Space of San Jose, maker of the Condor-M satellite platform. Small and medium-sized finalists were Kokatat of Arcata, Northstar Photonics of San Jose and Wing Inflatables of Arcata.

The governor’s office connected the contest to broader economic programs. It said last year’s California Jobs First program approved over $222,000 for Stratolaunch’s aerospace electrical training facility in Mojave and that Jobs First has supported 333 early-stage projects.

The release said statewide Jobs First investments totaled nearly $1.6 billion in 2025, supporting more than 61,000 jobs and training for more than 142,000 workers; the administration also said the U.S. Economic Development Administration designated all 13 Jobs First regions as Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies in April 2025.

The announcement promoted the new Made in California labeling campaign; the release said manufacturers producing in the state can apply at madeincalifornia.ca.gov and that eligible applicants may have all fees waived for a limited time.

“California doesn’t just lead the nation in manufacturing; we make the things that define the future,” Newsom said. The release said the state's manufacturing sector generated $391 billion in economic output in 2025.

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