June 1, 2025 · Entrepreneurs, Innovation, Program Impact, Stories
Meet the Founder: Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Recipient HyBird Space Systems
As part of Innovate Alabama’s mission to support high-growth, high-impact startups across the state, the SBIR/STTR Supplemental Grant Program provides matching funds to Alabama companies that have received federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards.
In the most recent round of funding, Innovate Alabama awarded $3.3 million to 20 companies across the state. These founders are building the future — right here in Alabama.
Get to know them in our “Meet the Founders” Q&A series.
Company: HyBird Space Systems
Founder: David “Joe” Horlacher
City: Huntsville, AL
Q&A with Joe Horlacher, Hybird Space Systems
In simple terms, what does your company do?
HyBird Space Systems is developing a family of rocket engines to serve national security and commercial aerospace missions. We are using safer, cutting-edge propellants and modern manufacturing to make engines cheaper and faster to produce.
Why are you building and growing your business in Alabama?
Alabama and Rocket City (Huntsville) offer everything a propulsion company needs: access to key government customers, industry leading prime contractors, a deep supplier base of other innovative small businesses and a pipeline of top talent from leading educational institutions. Supportive state programs, like Innovate Alabama, and aerospace friendly business practices provide a community whose identity and infrastructure are already geared toward supporting small, advanced technology businesses. Growing here lets us collaborate faster, hire smarter and maintain operations in a state that values aerospace innovation. Also, great BBQ!
Tell us about a recent success that you’re particularly proud of.
In the past few months, we have expanded our Huntsville team by six engineers (sourced locally and out of state) who include a combination of seasoned industry veterans and early-career talent. This growth has accelerated our development timelines, advanced design reviews ahead of schedule and enabled hot-fire testing of our first Alabama-built rocket engines.
How will Innovate Alabama SBIR/STTR matching funds help your company?
Innovate Alabama funds will support the buildout of a new rocket propulsion test stand at our Huntsville site, letting us test rocket engines in-house and accelerate product development. This capability will bolster Huntsville’s rocket-testing infrastructure, attract continued investment and sustain a highly skilled engineering workforce in the region.
What’s next for your business?
Moving forward, HyBird will continue growing our Alabama engineering workforce. Throughout the remainder of the year, we plan extensive testing and ongoing refinement of rocket engines in collaboration with our project partners at the USAF (Air Force Research Laboratory) and NASA (Marshall Space Flight Center). Additionally, we are actively pursuing multiple revenue opportunities to further expand and develop our advanced rocket motor product lines.
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