The SpaceCom Column

Building a space business from scratch is no easy feat, with securing adequate capital top-of-mind for new entrepreneurs looking to build a presence on the High Frontier. At SpaceCom 2026, Troy Morris, Co-Founder and CEO of Kall Morris Inc. (KMI), discussed the challenges of juggling the dual inputs of defense contract dollars and venture capital and while having enough diversity as a young company to move from good ideas and PowerPoint presentations to demonstration flight hardware and actionable services.  

“We’re looking at relocation as a service,” said Morris. “In layman’s terms, tow trucks for space. Assets in space were launched with the best of intentions and designs, and they still fall short. We’re seeing that assets that need to be decommissioned, deorbited, or they happen to failure at an average of 20%.”  

KMI has conducted a small-scale demonstration of its satellite grapple technology within the International Space Station, conducting 172 capture cycles over 200 days on orbit, successfully proving to NASA that its concept worked. The next step is to build and launch an ESPA-class spacecraft in 2027 on a LEO rideshare mission which would ultimately lead to an in-orbit collection station.  

But building and launching a satellite will take upwards of $10 million, which means KMI will need to move beyond friends and family money into a formalized Series A round of investment. That will require making the rounds of venture firms and having in-depth discussions on what KMI does and how it fits into a wider and ever-evolving space ecosystem. 

“I would say the thing that shocks me is the bold perspective that 80 to 90% have,” said Morris. “Many folks come in with very set assumptions. They build their investment thesis around that, they come in with a perspective and you have to understand that.” 

Morris anticipates seeking money from the investment arm of a corporate aerospace firm and/or those who have experience or interest in the general space economy, organizations that have a combination of experience in the sector and a capability to support KMI as it grows.  

“When you look at all the spending in space, national security satellites make up at most like 24% in quantity, but they also get 58% of all space funding,” said Morris. “The first forays into space were by national security organizations of different countries.” 

The question for Morris and the rest of the nascent space startups is if people are starting to watch outsiders such as KMI and for the opportunities they are generating, as opposed to established companies and ideas. 

“[Outsiders] are where we can see the biggest changes,” said Morris. “We didn’t walk out of SpaceX, we didn’t leave Blue Origin, we didn’t come with 40 years of experience and 80 years of paychecks. We came with a bootstrap mentality of how can we do this fast and effectively. I challenge folks to think different, look different, and not just copy the Apple ad. How can we do things better tomorrow than we did last week?” 

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