Bluestone Investment Partners Announces Investment in Missile Defense and Space Technology Business Qualis Corporation

MCLEAN, Va. and HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluestone Investment Partners has announced that it has completed a strategic investment in Qualis Corporation, a missile defense and space systems technology business based in Huntsville, Alabama.

Qualis supports the development of next-generation missile defense and satellite communications systems with advanced modeling, simulation, and testing services. The company's expertise in modeling and simulating RF waveforms is enabling the development of resilient communications and navigation in GPS-denied and contested environments. At its Huntsville headquarters, Qualis maintains a laboratory with a hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) high-performance computing environment for advanced modeling and simulation. Qualis' customers include U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Air Force Test Center, U.S. Space Force, the Space Development Agency, the Missile Defense Agency, and NASA. Qualis' management team will continue to lead the company as it looks to accelerate growth through organic expansion and acquisitions.

Qualis co-founder Elizabeth Morard said, "This was the perfect time to partner with Bluestone to enable our continued investment in the development of capabilities in support of our customers' missions. I am very proud of what Qualis has achieved to date and am excited about this next phase for the company in partnership with Bluestone."

Bluestone Investment Partners Managing Partner John Allen said, "We at Bluestone have great admiration for Qualis' history of performance and innovation. We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with the excellent Qualis team to support their continued technology development initiatives."

Bluestone's investment in Qualis was completed through Bluestone's recently established Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) vehicle. In June, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Bluestone Investment Partners was the first recipient of an SBIC Critical Technologies (SBICCT) Initiative license. The SBICCT Initiative is a joint effort between the SBA and the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) to increase private capital investment in 14 Critical Technology Areas defined in DoD's National Defense Science and Technology Strategy. Qualis' research and development activities are closely aligned with these Critical Technology Areas, particularly in the development of satellite communications path diversity.

Qualis President and CEO Rod Duke said, "We think the Bluestone team is the perfect partner given their industry expertise and record of success. In particular, the newly-awarded SBICCT license will advance the development of next-generation capabilities for our national defense and help us to continue delivering for the customer."

Qualis was founded in 1993 and has 310 employees, primarily scientists and engineers serving U.S. government customers at major tests sites throughout the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. In partnership with Bluestone, Qualis will continue to provide dedicated support to its customers across DoD and NASA while pursuing opportunities to bring its expertise and proprietary technology solutions to new customers throughout the missile defense and satellite communications segments of the market.

About Bluestone Investment Partners

Bluestone is a private equity firm investing exclusively in lower middle-market companies in the defense and government technology arena. Bluestone's principals have a long and successful track record owning, operating, investing in, and advising companies in the defense and government services sector. Please visit www.bluestoneinv.com for more information.

About BIP III SBIC LP

Bluestone's SBICCT-licensed fund is an affiliate of Bluestone Investment Partners investing exclusively in businesses addressing critical technology needs of the U.S. Department of Defense. BIP III SBIC LP is the first ever investment fund licensed through the Small Business Administration and Department of Defense's joint Critical Technologies Initiative.

About Qualis Corporation

Qualis is an SBA Certified Small Business Critical Technologies Company, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, with a significant presence in Florida, Colorado, Utah, Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio, and other states. The company has a 31-year history as a trusted Air Force, Army, Navy, Space Force, Space Development Agency, Joint DoD, MDA, and NASA partner. Qualis employees deliver award-winning support providing advanced engineering and developing critical technologies for national security and space programs.

SOURCE Bluestone Investment Partners