CEO Kim Thompson says recombinant spider silk can scale by using existing textile supply chains. Company targets monthly metric-ton production as National Geographic cover spotlights the tech.
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Kim Thompson, founder and CEO of Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, laid out the company's commercial scaling strategy in a Pulse 2.0 interview published Wednesday. The core argument: Kraig's genetically engineered silkworms can tap into an existing global silk supply chain rather than building a new manufacturing ecosystem from scratch.
"We leverage an existing global textile infrastructure already producing more than 150,000 metric tons of silk," Thompson said. "We are not building an entirely new industry. We are transforming one that already works at an extraordinary scale."
The company has been producing recombinant spider silk proteins through silkworms modified with spider genes. Thompson contrasted that approach with fermentation-based methods that require artificial fiber-spinning. "Our silkworms spin naturally, resulting in fiber quality that fermentation simply cannot match," he said.
Kraig Labs recently reported output of 1.8 metric tons of spider silk, up from 1.3 metric tons in earlier milestones. The company has moved rearing centers to Southeast Asia to access mature supply chains and skilled labor. Thompson pointed to the BAM-1 hybrid and BAM-1 Alpha strains as production improvements. "All of that builds the vertical integration that enables sustained monthly metric-ton-level production," he said.
The interview comes as the company faces a shift from R&D to commercial production. Thompson acknowledged the skepticism that has surrounded spider silk for decades. "When we started, many people questioned whether commercial spider silk production was even possible," he said. "Today, we are operating at production scales that very few thought achievable just two years ago."
Revenue from the material remains unconfirmed. The company's forward-looking statements in the press release note risks around execution and market adoption. Thompson set a target of "sustained monthly metric-ton-level production" with silk flowing into "textiles, performance apparel, and luxury fashion."
The interview was published alongside Kraig Labs' appearance on the cover of National Geographic's March 2026 issue, which highlights spider silk technology.
For context on the company's recent output milestones, see Kraig Biocraft Scales Spider Silk Output to 1.8 Metric Tons.
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