During the year, Rise8 secured major contracts including work on the US Space Force FORGE programme, a SpaceWERX STRATFI award under the US Air Force SBIR programme, an expanded AFWERX SDO IDIQ ceiling to $499 million, and early selection on the $151 billion SHIELD IDIQ supporting the Missile Defense Agency. These engagements enabled measurable outcomes, including an 84 per cent reduction in time to Authorisation to Operate for a federal agency, 20 per cent more operational events for a Space Force customer, and over 1,000 engineering hours returned to mission work for a US Air Force programme.
To support growth, the company expanded its leadership team with Max Reele as Director of Delivery, Adam Furtado as Director of Enablement, and Mike Gehard as Software Engineering and AI Lead, bringing more than 60 years of combined experience. Rise8 also invested in community engagement through its third Prodacity event in Nashville and announced the launch of ShipSummit in Park City in 2026, both focused on hands-on delivery and culture change.
Industry recognition included inclusion on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, a fifth consecutive Great Place to Work certification, and a Spacepower Excellence Award for software delivered with Combat Forces Command that reduced projected five-year costs by 85 per cent. Company leaders also contributed to national defence and govtech discussions at events including AFA Air, Space, & Cyber and Spacepower 2025.
“This year demonstrated what government teams can achieve when they’re empowered to deliver software in production,” said Bryon Kroger, Founder and CEO of Rise8. “Working together, teams shortened approval timelines, shipped secure software into production, and built the confidence to continuously deliver in some of the most complex environments in government, leaving teams stronger and more capable than when we started,” he said, adding: “In 2026, our focus is simple: continue enabling teams to deliver better outcomes in production, at speed.”
