A Space Force program meant to scale small-firm technology has picked 11 companies for deals that could draw a combined $562.5M from government and private backers.
The selections, announced Aug. 20 at the Fed Supernova conference in Austin, Texas, include Agile Space Industries, Antares Nuclear, EO Solutions, Hydrosat, Kall Morris, Method Security, Muon Space, Scout Space, Sedaro, Star Catcher Industries and ThinkOrbital.
About $245M of the expected total is government funding, with the rest coming from anticipated private investment and matching money. STRATFI agreements can run up to $60M per company, typically split between government and industry, with up to $15M supplied through Small Business Innovation Research funds.
None of these are signed contracts yet. Over the coming months each firm must negotiate its agreement, set milestones and demonstrate that its technology meets military needs before SpaceWERX money moves.
SpaceWERX Director Arthur Grijalva called the program a critical tool for the service to signal demand to industry and private investors. Eligibility is limited to firms performing under, or recently completing, a Phase 2 SBIR or Small Business Technology Transfer project.
The roster spans propulsion, satellite hardware, orbital services and cybersecurity, underscoring the Space Force’s push to scale small-firm capabilities into operational hardware.
