Stell Engineering Achieves FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency, Bolstering Texas Defense Contractors' Compliance

Stell Engineering, Inc. has achieved FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency for its Stell Requirements Management System (SRMS), a commercial cloud service offering. The milestone, announced today, carries significant implications for Texas businesses engaged in aerospace and defense contracting, as it simplifies compliance with DFARS 252.204-7012, which mandates that defense contractors storing covered defense information in the cloud use a provider that is FedRAMP Moderate authorized or equivalent. Texas is home to a dense cluster of defense contractors, aerospace manufacturers, and emerging space companies that must navigate these federal requirements to compete for contracts.

ControlCase, a FedRAMP recognized Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO), conducted an independent security assessment and attested that SRMS meets all security controls required by the FedRAMP Moderate baseline. This baseline was further defined in the DoD CIO's December 2023 memo, which raised the bar for equivalency by requiring that a provider implement 100% of controls in the Moderate baseline and have a 3PAO validate the implementation. For Texas contractors, this means that using SRMS can reduce the compliance burden and potential risks associated with storing sensitive defense data, allowing them to focus on engineering and innovation.

Stell Engineering builds requirements management software for aerospace and defense programs, an AI-native platform designed to replace legacy tools. The company's mission is to give commercial, government, and defense programs the software tool to move hardware development faster than legacy tools allow. Anne Wen, CEO of Stell Engineering, emphasized that security is foundational: "Our partners trust us to protect their mission data and meet federal requirements for safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information." The platform is used by satellite companies, shipbuilders, and battery manufacturers to ensure products meet all customer, interface, regulatory, and functional requirements. Department of War organizations such as the U.S. Space Force are using Stell to develop and maintain interface specifications for faster procurement and integration of new launch vehicles, spacecraft, and payloads.

The SRMS cloud service offering holds a FedRAMP Ready designation on the FedRAMP Marketplace and maintains a current SOC 2 Type II report with no findings. Its government cloud offering, the SRMS Government Cloud, holds an Impact Level 5 Authorization to Operate from U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. The SRMS Government Cloud has also completed its FedRAMP High assessment by an independent 3PAO, and its authorization package is under review by the FedRAMP PMO. Additionally, Stell holds a CMMC Level 2 certification from an authorized C3PAO.

Sam Rahn, Security Program Manager at Stell Engineering, noted, "Obtaining FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency is a major milestone for Stell's security roadmap. This achievement was made possible by a Stell leadership team that embeds security in every conversation, and a team of talented engineers that are always asking what we can be doing better." For Texas, this announcement reinforces the state's role as a hub for defense and aerospace innovation. By providing a compliant, secure platform, Stell enables Texas businesses to accelerate hardware development while meeting federal cybersecurity standards, potentially enhancing their competitiveness in securing government contracts and contributing to the nation's technological superiority.