Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.

Overview

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a Wyoming corporation, is a corporation organized to develop high strength fibers using recombinant DNA technology for commercial applications including technical textiles. We use genetically engineered silkworms that produce spider silk proteins to create our recombinant spider silk. Applications include performance apparel, workwear, filtration, luxury fashion, flexible composites, medical implants, cosmetics and more. We believe that we are a world leader in the research, development, and production of commercially scalable and cost-effective spider silk fiber. Our primary proprietary fiber technology utilizes natural and engineered variants of spider silk produced in domesticated mulberry silkworms. Our business brings twenty-first century biotechnology to the historical silk industry. We are introducing materials with innovative properties into an established commercial ecosystem of silkworm rearing, silk spinning, weaving, and manufacture of garments and other products.

We are using genetic engineering technologies to develop fibers with greater strength, resiliency, and flexibility for use in our target markets, including the specialty fiber and technical textile industries. We believe that the genetically engineered protein-based fibers we seek to produce have properties that are in some ways superior to the materials currently available in the marketplace. Our technology holds, what we believe to be, the potential for life-saving ballistic resistant materials. Other potential applications for spider silk based recombinant fibers include use as structural material and for any application in which light weight and high strength are required. We believe that fibers made with recombinant protein-based polymers will make significant inroads into the specialty fiber and technical textile markets.

Through our technologies, the introduction of the gene sequence based on those found in native spider silk, results in a germline transformation and is therefore self-perpetuating. Our recombinant spider silk fibers incorporate the silk proteins found in spider silk with native silkworm silk proteins. This combination of native silkworm proteins combined with spider silk protein structures results in new and unique recombinant silk fibers. This technology is in essence a protein expression platform which has other potential applications including diagnostics and pharmaceutical production. Moreover, our technologies are “green” inasmuch as our fibers and textiles are derived from nature and do not use any petrochemicals as an input into the fibers.

The Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm to our financial statements as of December 31, 2024 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our net loss from operations and net capital deficiency at December 31, 2024 raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Corporate Information

Kraig was incorporated in Wyoming in 2006. Our principal executive offices are located at 2723 South State St. Suite 150, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104. Our website is located atwww.kraiglabs.com and we make available, free of charge, on or through our website all of our periodic reports, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, as soon as reasonably practicable after we file such reports with the SEC. Our website and the information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference and is not a part of this Annual Report.

Recent Developments

In January 2022, we completed production of the first Dragon Silk yarn produced entirely in Vietnam. The finished recombinant spider silk yarn was spun from raw recombinant spider silk produced by our subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles. While Prodigy Textiles remains focused on ramping up the output of silk cocoons, supporting vendors will play an essential role in processing that silk into finished goods for a wide range of consumer markets. Once we achieve larger scale production, we plan to ship Dragon Silk yarn to various commercial entities including SpydaSilk Enterprises in Singapore, a joint venture partially owned by the Company for weaving into fabrics and finished garments.

Our study of previous production runs indicated that our laboratory strains lacked the necessary robustness to carry out our production objectives. In 2024 we made substantial progress in improving robustness. We are accelerating our hybridization and breeding program to further increase production robustness and cocoon size.

On January 24, 2024, we signed a memorandum of understand with the Vietnam Sericulture Association (VSA) and the Lam Dong Agro-Forestry Research & Experiment Center (LAREC) to enhance sericulture in Vietnam through the expanded application of the Company’s spider silk silkworm technology.

On April 2, 2024, the Company signed final agreements with the VSA and LAREC.

Standby Equity Purchase Agreement

On January 21, 2025, we entered into a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (the “SEPA”) with YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited company (the “Investor”). Capitalized terms used herein, but not otherwise defined, have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the SEPA, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.14.

Pursuant to the SEPA, the Company has the right to sell to the Investor up to $10 million of its shares of common stock, subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in the SEPA, from time to time during the term of the SEPA. Sales of the shares of common stock to the Investor under the SEPA, and the timing of any such sales, are at the Company’s option, and the Company is under no obligation to sell any shares of common stock to the Investor under the SEPA except in connection with notices that may be submitted by the Investor, in certain circumstances as described below.

Upon the satisfaction of the conditions to the Investor’s purchase obligation set forth in the SEPA, including having a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of common stock issuable under the SEPA declared effective by the SEC, the Company will have the right, but not the obligation, from time to time at its discretion until the SEPA is terminated to direct the Investor to purchase a specified number of shares of common stock (“Advance”) by delivering written notice to the Investor (“Advance Notice”). While there is no mandatory minimum amount for any Advance, it may not exceed an amount equal to 100% of the average of the daily traded amount during the five consecutive trading days immediately preceding an Advance Notice.

In addition to the satisfaction of the conditions, the Investor shall not be obligated to purchase or acquire, and shall not purchase or acquire, any common stock under the SEPA which, when aggregated with all other common stock beneficially owned by the Investor and its affiliates, would result in the beneficial ownership by the Investor and its affiliates (on an aggregated basis) of a number of shares of common stock exceeding 4.99% of the then outstanding voting power or number of common shares. In addition, in no event shall an Advance exceed the number of common shares registered in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby under the registration statement then in effect.

The Company shall pay the Investor a structuring fee in an amount of $25,000, of which $10,000 has been paid, and $15,000 shall be paid on the earlier of (a) the Closing of the first Advance, or (b) the termination of the SEPA. Additionally, within three days of signing the SEPA (the “Effective Date”), the Company shall pay a commitment fee in an amount equal to 1.00% of the Commitment Amount (the “Commitment Fee”) consisting of such number of Common Shares that is equal to the Commitment Fee divided by the average of the daily VWAPs of the Common Shares during the 3 Trading Days immediately prior to the Effective Date (the “Commitment Shares”). The Commitment Shares issuable hereunder shall be included on the initial Registration Statement.

The SEPA will automatically terminate on the earliest to occur of (i) 36-month anniversary of the Effective Date or (ii) the date on which the Investor shall have made payment of Advances pursuant to the SEPA for shares of common stock equal to the Commitment Amount. The Company has the right to terminate the SEPA at no cost or penalty upon five (5) trading days’ prior written notice to the Investor, provided that there are no outstanding Advance Notices for which shares of common stock need to be issued. Neither the Company nor the Investor may assign or transfer their respective rights and obligations under the SEPA, and no provision of the SEPA may be modified or waived other than by an instrument in writing signed by both parties.

The SEPA contains customary representations, warranties, conditions, and indemnification obligations of the parties. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in such agreements were made only for purposes of such agreements and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreements and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.

The net proceeds received by the Company under the SEPA will depend on the frequency and prices at which the Company sells its shares of common stock to the Investor. The Company expects that any proceeds received from such sales to the Investor will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Covid-19

On March 19, 2020, we furloughed non-essential staff in response to governmental regulations relating to COVID. This decision primarily impacted staff at our fully owned subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles, in Vietnam and resulted in the temporary closing of silk production operations. As of the date hereof, we have resumed silk production operations. The Company supported its furloughed staff and paid their salaries during all mandatory closures. During the duration of the furlough, the Company’s CEO voluntarily waved the payment or accrual of his salary. The Company leveraged this forced closure time to improve its production infrastructure based on the lessons learned from its operations. Following the mandated closures, the Company has enhanced its operations with process automation, moved its production headquarters to a facility designed for silk production and created a more self-reliant supply chain. We have also established a microbiology laboratory in the factory for enhanced quality control. Based on lessons learned during Prodigy’s pre-COVID production ramp up, Management views the in-factory microbiology lab as a critical element to successful large-scale production. The global COVID pandemic and government regulations associated with the pandemic continue to evolve. Management continues to stockpile critical inventories and establish alternative supply and vendor chains as a precaution against future pandemics, disasters, or governmental actions. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, including its potential effect on our plans and timelines.

The Product

Our products exploit the unique characteristics of spider silk, specifically dragline silk fromNephila clavipes (golden orb-web spider) and variants thereof. Such fibers possess unique mechanical properties in terms of strength, resilience, and flexibility. Through the use of genetic engineering, we believe that we have produced a variety of unique transgenic silkworm strains that produce recombinant spider silk. Our recombinant spider silk fiber incorporates the silk proteins found in spider silk with the native silkworm silk proteins. This combination of native silkworm proteins combined with spider silk protein structures results in a new and unique recombinant silk fiber.

Monster Silk®

Monster Silk® was the first recombinant spider silk fiber product we developed. Monster Silk incorporates the natural elasticity of spider silk to make a silk fiber which is more flexible that conventional silk fibers and textiles. We have produced sample products using Monster Silk® including knit fabrics, gloves, and shirts in collaboration with textile mills. We expect that Monster Silk® will have market applications across the traditional textile markets where its increased flexibility will provide increased durability and comfort.

Dragon Silk TM

Dragon Silk TM is the next evolution in recombinant spider silk, combining the elasticity of Monster Silk® with additional high strength elements of native spider silk. Some samples of Dragon Silk TM have demonstrated strength beyond that of native spider silk. This combination of strength and elasticity results in a silk fiber which is soft and flexible, yet tougher than leading synthetic fiber available on the market. Based on inquires we have received from end market leaders, we believe that Dragon Silk TM-will have applications in performance apparel, durable workwear, luxury goods, and composites.

Other Products

We are continuing to develop new recombinant silks and other protein-based fibers and materials using our genetic engineering capabilities. The Company leverages the latest in genetic engineering technology to develop new silk and protein technologies that it believes will have significant advantages over our legacy technology which created Dragon Silk and Monster Silk. Chief among these is the potential to produce spider silks with greatly increased purity and performance. Due to the biocompatible and biodegradable properties of silk, we believe that the materials developed using this process will create opportunities for products in the medical industry, including sutures, grafts, and implants.

Our Technology

Our technology builds upon the unique advantages of the domesticated silkworm. The silkworm is an efficient commercial and industrial producer of protein-based polymers, and forty percent (40%) of the caterpillars’ weight is devoted to the silk glands. The silk glands produce large amounts of an insoluble protein called fibroin, which the silkworm spins into a composite protein thread (silk).

We use our genetic engineering technology to create proprietary recombinant silk polymers from the silkworms. On September 29, 2010, we, along with our collaborators at Notre Dame created approximately twenty different strains of transgenic silkworm which produce recombinant silk polymers. In October of 2017, with the support of funding from the U.S. Army, we transitioned our research operations out of Notre Dame and into our own research and development headquarters.

Our transgenic silkworms are created by inserting the genes expressing spider silk with either natural or engineered amino acid sequences into the embryos of the silkworm. The spider silk sequence is introduced to the embryo of the silkworm and incorporated into the silkworm genome using state of the art molecular biology approaches. The spider sequence is created on a circular loop of DNA called a plasmid. We developed a method to alter the plasmid DNA to more readily allow the mixing and matching of various targeted traits including spider DNA genes, disease resistance, commercially marketable proteins and other physical properties. In this way, we can combine different genetic cassettes to create fibers and proteins with the modified chemical, physical, and mechanical properties more rapidly than through conventional methods.

Production of this material in commercial quantities holds the potential of a life-saving ballistic resistant material, which is lighter, more flexible, and tougher than steel. However, the Company does not currently have any life-saving ballistic products and could be some time before we are able to produce such a product. Other potential applications for spider silk based recombinant fibers include use as structural material and for any application in which light weight and high strength are required. We believe that fibers made with recombinant protein-based polymers will make significant inroads into the specialty fiber and technical textile markets. Our interactions with manufacturers of high-performance textiles, convince us that there is an eager commercial market for our innovative, sustainable, and differentiated technology and products.

Manufacturing

Our spider silk technology is designed for plug and play incorporation into the existing silk production model. We manufacture and plan to continue to manufacture our proprietary spider silk fibers using traditional silkworm production practices (sericulture).

The Company, through Prodigy Textiles, has hired local workers with experience in sericulture production to care for and raise our silkworms through the five instars, or stages, of the silkworm life cycle, including the final instar when the mature caterpillars produce a cocoon comprised of pure silk. These cocoons are then reeled to our specifications to form the final spider silk threads such as Dragon Silk TMand Monster Silk®.

By utilizing existing production methodology in traditional silk regions to produce our high-performance materials, we leverage historical knowledge, available labor, and existing capital infrastructure for production, spinning, and weaving of our spider silk materials. This approach reduces the risk to our manufacturing operations and decreases our need for upfront capital expenditure.

We believe that we will be able to target metric tons of capacity of spider silk fiber per annum from our operations when fully developed. This capacity will allow us to address our anticipated initial demand for applications in the protective, performance, and luxury textile markets.

The Market

We are focusing our work on the creation of new fibers with unique properties including fibers with potential high performance and technical fiber applications for the performance fiber market. The performance fiber market is currently dominated by two classes of product: aramid fibers, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. These existing products serve the need for materials with high strength, resilience, but are unable to delivery flexibility. Because these synthetic performance fibers are stronger and tougher than steel, they are used in a wide variety of military, industrial, and consumer applications.

The military and police are among the users of performance fibers for its ballistic protection. The materials are also used for industrial applications requiring superior strength and toughness, e.g., critical cables and abrasion/impact resistant components. Performance fibers are also employed in safety equipment, high strength composite materials for the aero-space industry and for ballistic protection by the defense industry.

The global market for technical textiles was estimated at greater than $200 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $272 billion by 20301.

These are industrial materials which have become essential products for both industrial and consumer applications. The market for technical textiles can be defined as consisting of:

We believe that the superior mechanical characteristics of the next generation of protein-based polymers (in other words, genetically engineered silk fibers), will open up new applications for the technology. The materials which we are working to produce are tougher and stronger than steel.

We are actively pursuing relationships within target end markets to secure product collaborations with key market channel leaders. Due to the unique nature of our product, we received numerous unsolicited requests from leading businesses across a range of attractive end markets requesting materials for applications development. This substantial interest in spider silk materials across the broad spectrum of applications for high performance fibers and textiles, combined with the limited initial production capacity, has, we believe, provided the opportunity to be selective in choosing market channel partners best able to bring our product to market at scale. We are working under non-disclosure agreements to secure these collaborative development agreements and to establish limited channel exclusivity for firms we believe mirror our culture of innovation.

1 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/technical-textiles-market#:~:text=Report%20Overview,4.5%25%20from%202020%20to%202027

Research and Development

During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we have spent approximately 22,206 and 15,126 hours, respectively, on research and development activities, which consisted primarily of laboratory research on genetic engineering by our in-house research operations.

We have initiated production of our recombinant materials, which we have named Monster Silk® and Dragon Silk TM. Additionally, we are accelerating both our microbiology and selective breeding programs.

Our R&D is focused on creating new materials through molecular biology and genetic engineering. One of the main focuses of our work is utilizing the domestic silkworm to create brand-new fibers and materials. We are advancing this work very quickly, creating many new transgenics in the fourth quarter of 2024 and accelerating that work into 2025. We believe these new transgenics could have potentially significant impacts on the apparel and technical textiles markets.

A key aspect of our research program is designed to increase the robustness of our silkworms within the production environment. Working with our contractors we have identified robustness and acclimation of our silkworm lines to the local climate as one of our most significant challenges. In 2024 we made substantial progress in improving robustness. We are accelerating our hybridization and breeding program to further increase production robustness and cocoon size.

Our Intellectual Property Approach

Our intellectual property strategy utilizes a blended approach of licensed technologies and in-house developments. As part of our intellectual property portfolio, we have licensed the exclusive right to use certain patented gene-splicing technologies for use in silkworm.

Under the Notre Dame Agreements, we exercised our right to exclusive commercial use for spider silk technologies developed under that agreement. We have worked collaboratively with the university to develop fibers with the mechanical characteristics of spider silk. We are applying this proprietary genetic engineering technology to domesticated silkworms, which we believe is the best path to economical, commercial scale production of spider silk.

In 2017, we opened a research and development facility to expand on the work conducted at Notre Dame. Since opening this new facility, we have expanded our intellectual property portfolio with multiple additional provisional and utility patent filings based on new discoveries and inventions. We will continue to utilize our in-house research capabilities to expand and strengthen its patent portfolio while also maintaining and growing our trade secrets relating to genetic advancement and spider silk. We are actively working to develop new approaches to the development of genetically engineering silkworms, underlying construction techniques, and fundamental genetic sequences for improved material performance.

The Notre Dame Agreements will last for the duration of the patented materials that we developed with Notre Dame. The new technologies that we are developing in our internal research labs does not rely on the Notre Dame patented materials and as a result will not be impacted by an expiration of those agreements.

License Agreements/Intellectual Property

We have obtained certain rights to use a number of university created, and patented gene splicing and spider silk protein technologies.

As part of the joint development program with the University of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Agreements, Kraig Labs negotiated an option for exclusive global commercial rights to technologies jointly developed with Notre Dame. Kraig Labs has exercised that option. As of the date of this filing, four patents relating to the jointly developed technologies have been issued, number 10-1926286 in South Korea, number 2011314072 in Australia, number 26612 in Vietnam, and number 2,812,791 in Canada. These jurisdictions are a mix of silk producing and consuming countries. We believe protecting our technologies in these countries will be beneficial to our future operations.

In addition to the patents related to licensed technologies from Notre Dame listed above, Kraig Labs has filed a number of patent applications and provisional applications based on technologies developed solely within the Company’s own laboratories. Kraig has filed two such patent applications and four provisional patent applications based on technologies developed and discoveries from our own independent research operations.

Table of Patent Applications and Status

• The terms in this column have the following meanings:

Published: Pending patent applications that have been published by a corresponding state Patent Office (e.g., the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) or international patent authority (e.g., the World Intellectual Property Association).

Pending: Patent applications that have been submitted to a corresponding state Patent Office for examination but that have not been issued or abandoned.

Under Exam: Pending patent applications currently being examined by a corresponding state Patent Office.

Granted: Patent applications that have been allowed by a corresponding state Patent Office and that have passed through the registration process; a granted patent application is synonymous with a “patent” and is conferred the associated patent rights for the given jurisdiction.

In addition to patent protection for intellectual property developed by the Company and through its collaborative research agreements, the Company has developed specialized skills and knowledge in the field of selective breeding, performance selection, and husbandry. This information is considered to be trade secrets and will play a critical role in the development of unique strains of new transgenics with diverse mechanical properties. These operations and knowledge held as trade secrets provide an additional layer of security and protection for the products and technologies we seek to develop.

In 2014, the following six trademarks were issued to the Company; the Company shall use these trademarks for product branding in the future:

Marks

Monster Silk®

Spiderpillar®

Spilk®

Monster Worm®

Spider Worm®

Spider Moth®

Dragon Silk TM

In 2021, through its Singapore based joint venture the following four trademarks were issued.

Notre Dame Agreements

As discussed above, in 2007 we entered into the first series of Notre Dame Agreements. We provided financial support to ongoing research and development of transgenic silkworms and the creation of recombinant silk fibers. In exchange, we have an option to obtain the exclusive global commercialization rights to the technology developed pursuant to the research effort.

Following the first agreement, we entered into successive intellectual property and collaborative research agreements with Notre Dame to provide different levels of financial support. The trend had been for an increase in financial support for the research and development in nearly every successive agreement. In June 2012, we entered into an Intellectual Property / Collaborative Research Agreement with Notre Dame (“2012 Notre Dame Research Agreement”). On March 4, 2015, we entered into a new Intellectual Property / Collaborative Research Agreement with Notre Dame extending the agreement through March 2016 (“2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement”). Under the 2015 Notre Dame Research agreement, the Company provided approximately $534,000 in financial support. On September 20, 2015, the 2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement was amended to increase the total funding by approximately $179,000; in February 2016, the 2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement was extended to July 31, 2016, and in August 2016, the 2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement was extended to December 31, 2016. In May 2017, the 2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement was amended to increase the total funding by approximately $189,000 and the duration of the 2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement was extended to September 30, 2017. With the funding we received from the U.S. Army, we were able to conduct our research and development in-house, at less cost, and therefore we did not extend the 2015 Notre Dame Research Agreement after September 30, 2017.

In 2011, we exercised our option to obtain the global commercialization rights to the technology developed under the Notre Dame Agreements, which resulted in a separate license agreement with Notre Dame (the “2011 Notre Dame Agreement”). Pursuant to the 2011 Notre Dame Agreement, Notre Dame filed an international patent application and numerous national patent applications on technology relating to the creation and use of recombinant spider silks and we received exclusive and non-exclusive rights to certain spider silk and gene-splicing technologies including commercial rights with the right to sublicense such intellectual property. The 2011 Notre Dame Agreement obligates us to reimburse Notre Dame for costs associated with the filing, prosecuting, and maintaining of such patents and patent applications. In exchange for the rights to commercialization, Notre Dame has received 2,200,000 shares of our Common Stock and we have agreed to pay Notre Dame royalties equal to 2% of our gross sales of the licensed products and 10% of any sublicensing fees received by the Company on licensed technology.

Cooperative Agreement in Vietnam

On December 30, 2015, we entered into a cooperative agreement with a provincial government office in Vietnam for the research and pilot production of hybrid silkworms. In April 2018, we received an investment registration certificate for our subsidiary in Vietnam. Later that month the Company was issued its enterprise registration certificate which allowed us to commence operations.

Other Agreements

On October 15, 2013, we entered into an intellectual property agreement with a scientific researcher relating to the development of new recombinant silk fibers. Under the terms of that agreement, the scientific researcher transferred his rights of intellectual property, inventions, and trade secrets which the researcher develops relating to recombinant silk to us. Upon signing, the researcher received 8,000,000 common stock purchase warrants from the Company, exercisable 24 months from the date of the agreement. As per the terms of the agreement, the researcher received an additional 10,000,000 warrants after creating a new recombinant silk fiber for us that met specified performance characteristics and another 8,000,000 warrants for performing the contract in good faith. The warrants described above all contain a cashless exercise provision and are exercisable on the 24-month anniversary of the date on which they were issuable under the agreement. All warrant under this agreement were exercised.

Governmental Regulations

We are subject to U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as Vietnam central, provisional, and district laws and regulations. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, labor relations, the labeling and safety of our products, the environment, distribution of products, the production of products, and our molecular biology-based technologies. We believe that we are in material compliance with all such applicable laws and regulations, although no assurance can be provided that this will remain true in the future or that interpretation of laws and regulations will remain a constant. Laws and particularly their interpretations and enforcement can and do change. Social and political trends shift in ways that we cannot predict and which could become less favorable to our technology. With regards to areas where law is vague, lacking, or could be subject to interpretation we endeavor to conform to industry norms.

Environment

Kraig Labs is fully committed to its vision of bringing spider silk technologies to commercial markets while maintaining the highest levels of environmental responsibility. We believe our technology, built on a renewable resource, has a positive environmental impact, and offers significant benefits over competing synthetic textiles. Our production system is derived from nature and does not use any petrochemicals as an input into our fibers.

We seek to comply with and exceed all applicable statutory and administrative requirements concerning environmental quality. Expenditures for compliance with federal state and local environmental laws have not had, and are not expected to have, a material effect on our capital expenditures, results of operations or competitive position.

While being environmentally conscious is the objective of all producers in this industry, the fermentation process used by our competitors produces high levels of carbon dioxide. CO2 is a greenhouse gas and is argued to be a leading cause of global warming. In stark contrast, Kraig Labs’ mulberry trees and the silk from silkworms have proven to be effective at sequestering carbon dioxide and are renewable resources. Mulberry trees also provide essential global green-cover and significantly help in reducing soil erosion in areas.

Competition

We compete directly with numerous other companies with similar product lines and/or distribution that have extensive capital, resources, market share, and brand recognition.

There are presently three primary competitors that we face in the fledgling spider silk industry, but there are few barriers to entry in our industry. This creates the strong possibility of new competitors emerging, and of others succeeding in developing the same or similar fibers for application that we are trying to develop. The effects of this increased competition may be materially adverse to us and our stockholders. As this is an emergent industry there is no one producer that has captured a significant portion of the market. Bolt Threads, Inc. based in California and Spiber Inc. based in Japan are competitors which have raised the largest amounts of investment capital to date. We also compete with AMSilk, which is based in Germany. We believe that our technology offers more cost-effective methods with lower environmental impact than technologies used by our identified competitors, however, new technologies could be developed that remove this advantage.

These competitors have raised and spent 100’s of millions of dollars in pursuit of spider silk production.

Employees

The Company currently employs between 10-14 people at its U.S. facilities, 7 full-time and up to 7 part-time, including Kim Thompson, our officer and sole director and Jonathan R. Rice, our Chief Operating Officer. The Company employs between 8-30 full time personnel at its Vietnamese subsidiary depending on the production cycle. We plan to hire more persons on as-needed basis.