Colorado-based startup Defense Unicorns has been selected by the Space Force to update software applications and IT systems used to support rocket launches at U.S. Space Force ranges. The company earned a $15 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) agreement from SpaceWERX, the technological division of the Space Force.

The STRATFI agreement is part of a funding initiative for companies that have already won Small Business Innovation Research projects. The agreement helps such companies transition their developmental products to production, and attracts private investors. Funding amounts for these contracts typically range from $3 million to $15 million per project.

The STRATFI agreement procured by Defense Unicorns is expected to hold for five years. Recently, the company also announced that it has raised $35 million in a Series A funding round, led by Sapphire Ventures and Ansa Capital.

Defense Unicorns was formed three years prior by former Department of Defense software developers. The firm specializes in transitioning legacy military systems, that are typically offline, to a digital IT infrastructure. Company co-founder, Andrew Greene, stated that software modernization is essential at Space Force launch ranges.

Greene further emphasized the necessity of modernizing launch IT systems, given the rapid increase in commercial launches. He also acknowledged the challenges involved in this process, particularly the issues of outdated technology, embedding the systems into diverse computing environments, along with the complexities of security and compliance standards.

Source: Space Force selects startup Defense Unicorns to update software at launch ranges.