Marquette aerospace company Kall Morris Incorporated is one of 11 firms selected for a multimillion-dollar U.S. Space Force innovation agreement.

SpaceWERX, the Space Force's innovation arm, announced the selections Aug. 20 at the Fed Supernova conference in Austin, Texas. The 11 Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) agreements are expected to draw a combined $562.5 million from government and private sources, with about $245 million in government funding. Individual agreements can be worth up to $60 million per company. KMI's specific dollar figure has not been disclosed.

The selections are not yet finalized awards. KMI and the other companies will negotiate terms, establish milestones and demonstrate their technologies meet military requirements before agreements are signed, according to WZMQ, which first reported the local angle.

Co-founder Adam Kall said the selection puts KMI in rare company. "When you look at winners of previous years, these are companies that have gone onto launch hundreds of satilites, become multi-billion dollar companies … We're excited to join that group and still plenty of work to prove our place, but at least we have a seat at the table," Kall told WZMQ.

Co-founder Austin Morris said the 48-month agreement will fund team growth, technology development and a mission launch. WZMQ reported the agreement includes a 2028 launch. Morris said the company's commitment to staying in Marquette sets it apart from other fast-growing firms in the industry.

KMI develops spacecraft and robotic systems for orbital logistics and debris removal. Its technology is built to rendezvous with and maneuver satellites or objects that were not originally built to be serviced, according to SpaceNews. The company previously sent its debris-grabbing robot REACHH to the International Space Station for testing.

Founded in 2019 by Kall, Morris and Troy M. Morris in the Masonic Square of downtown Marquette, KMI has grown from a three-person startup into a company with collaborations across NASA, the Space Force and the U.S. Air Force, and more than 15 awards.

During Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist's tour of KMI's headquarters on Aug. 18, Kall said the region "still has the talent that is necessary for conducting space missions."

Contract language is still being finalized, according to WZMQ. More updates are expected at KMI's website.