Kraig Biocraft Laboratories
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is a publicly traded biotechnology company that develops and produces recombinant spider silk fibers using genetically engineered silkworms, serving enterprise customers in performance apparel, luxury fashion, and defense.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLansing, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kraig Biocraft Laboratories does
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) is a publicly traded biotechnology company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that develops and produces recombinant spider silk fibers using genetically engineered silkworms. The company's core technology is a transgenic silkworm platform that produces spider silk proteins naturally through the silkworm's biological spinning process, bypassing the cost and scale limitations of fermentation-based protein production. Production is operated through its wholly owned subsidiary Prodigy Silk Ltd. (DBA Prodigy Textiles) across three silkworm rearing centers in Vietnam, supported by government collaboration providing access to facilities, technical personnel, and mulberry fields. Key products include Monster Silk (the company's flagship recombinant spider silk brand), the BAM-1 Alpha production hybrid strain with 22% improved hybrid vigor, Project Atlas next-generation biomaterials program, and the newly announced immortalized silk gland cell platform for continuous recombinant protein production via natural exocytosis.
The company monetizes through B2B sales of spider silk fibers and fabrics, with potential licensing of proprietary transgenic silkworm technology to defense, medical, and textile partners. Its commercial customer engagement centers on enterprise performance sports apparel brands, luxury textile companies, and the U.S. Army (which contracted ballistic shoot packs in 2021). As of late 2025/2026, three undisclosed major brand-name companies (two sports apparel brands and one luxury textile company) are receiving initial sample shipments and preparing for first commercial deliveries, with a confidential pilot program for a globally recognized performance sports brand targeted before end of Q1 2026. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise sales with CEO-led on-site operational reviews in Southeast Asia and customized material specifications per customer.
Production scale has rapidly accelerated, from 700,000 deployed BAM-1 Alpha hybrids in 2025 to over 1.3 metric tons in a single month in April 2026 (a 5x increase), approximately 1.8 metric tons in March 2026, and a record-setting nearly 2.5 metric tons in a single June 2026 production cycle. The company's stated commercial-scale target is 10 metric tons of recombinant spider silk cocoons per month. Capital has been raised primarily through Yorkville Advisors via an $8M debt-to-equity conversion (November 2022), a $1.5M investment (April 2022), and a $10M standby equity purchase agreement (January 2025). The synthetic spider silk market is projected to grow from USD 2.58 billion to USD 11.65 billion by 2035 at a 16.24% CAGR, representing the company's primary TAM.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories
- Legal name
- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.
- Website
- https://kraiglabs.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is a publicly traded biotechnology company that develops and produces recombinant spider silk fibers using genetically engineered silkworms, serving enterprise customers in performance apparel, luxury fashion, and defense.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recombinant Spider Silk Fibers
- NAICS
- Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (32522), Knit Fabric Mills (31324)
- SIC
- Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Man-Made Fiber Manufacturing (Polyester/Nylon/Acrylic/Viscose) (IMAOAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bio-based Textiles & Fibers (lyocell/viscose, cellulose filament, nonwovens) (IMAMALAK), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing) (IMAOAMAM)
Keywords
Where Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lansing
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Spider Silk Fiber and Fabric Sales: Revenue from selling recombinant spider silk fibers and fabrics to textile brands, performance apparel manufacturers, and luxury fashion companies. Initial commercial trial orders and first shipments initiated in Q4 2025 with ongoing customer engagement for wider adoption and longer-term production agreements.
- Licensing Royalties: Potential licensing of proprietary transgenic silkworm technology and spider silk IP to partners in textiles, defense, and medical sectors.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories develops and manufactures recombinant spider silk fibers using genetically engineered silkworms as a biological production platform. The company sells Monster Silk branded fibers, yarns, and fabrics to enterprise customers in performance apparel, luxury fashion, and defense, leveraging existing global silk infrastructure in Southeast Asia rather than fermentation-based alternatives. It also operates an emerging immortalized silk gland cell platform aimed at recombinant protein and biopharmaceutical applications.
Product overview
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is a biotechnology company that has developed the world's first commercially scalable recombinant spider silk production platform. The company's core product is Monster Silk, a recombinant spider silk fiber produced through proprietary genetically engineered silkworms. The company operates its production through its subsidiary Prodigy Silk in Southeast Asia, utilizing advanced hybrid strains like BAM-1 Alpha that deliver superior silk yields. The technology portfolio includes the foundational transgenic silkworm platform for spider silk production and the newer Immortalized Silk Gland Cell Platform for broader recombinant protein applications. The company's R&D program Project Atlas focuses on developing next-generation biomaterials with enhanced properties for industrial and defense applications. Together, these offerings position the company as the leading developer of spider silk-based fiber technologies targeting markets across performance textiles, luxury fashion, defense, and medical sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Monster Silk: The company's brand name for its woven spider silk textile products, including Monster Silk Woven Textile shown in product photos.
Products and services
- Monster Silk Flagship recombinant spider silk brand produced through genetically engineered silkworms, combining scalability of traditional sericulture with superior strength, toughness, and elasticity properties for technical textiles, performance apparel, and luxury fashion.
- BAM-1 Alpha Hybrid Silkworms Advanced production hybrid silkworm strain for recombinant spider silk manufacturing, producing larger cocoons and higher silk yields while maintaining recombinant spider silk properties, designed for industrial-scale manufacturing efficiency.
- Immortalized Silk Gland Cell Platform Biotechnology platform using immortalized silkworm posterior silk gland cells that continuously produce and secrete recombinant proteins without cell destruction, enabling scalable, lower-cost recombinant protein manufacturing for biopharmaceutical and biomaterial applications.
- Recombinant Spider Silk Fiber and Fabric Sales Commercial offering of recombinant spider silk fibers, yarns, and fabrics sold directly to enterprise textile customers, with initial shipments and pilot programs underway with sports apparel brands, luxury textile companies, and defense contractors.
- Recombinant Spider Silk Fiber Technology (Transgenic Silkworm Platform) Proprietary biotechnology platform using genetically engineered silkworms to produce spider silk fibers naturally through biological spinning processes, leveraging established global sericulture infrastructure rather than fermentation-based systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tensile strength reaching 1.79 gigapascals with elasticity above 38% (BAM-1 platform)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Kraig Biocraft Laboratories
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Government Agency in Southeast AsiacoreMulti-year collaboration agreement with a government agency in Southeast Asia providing access to government-supported rearing facilities, technical personnel, and infrastructure critical to accelerating production and expanding operational capacity. Kraig Labs gained access to government-owned mulberry gardens (usage rights granted) providing essential feedstock for silkworm rearing. The agreement also provides for collaboration on production growth and resource/facility/land access.
- University of Notre DamecoreCollaborations with well-respected institutions such as the University of Notre Dame have accelerated and enabled breakthroughs in spider silk technologies. The partnership has been instrumental in developing the company's transgenic silkworm platform and advancing genetic engineering research.
- Dr. Nirmal Kumar (Sericulture Expert)coreLead sericulture expert providing specialized training to new production staff and overseeing build-out of expanded egg production center and testing lab. Expertise instrumental in transforming sericulture operations into a robust, scalable manufacturing system. On-site leadership at new production facilities.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spiber: Japanese biotechnology company developing Brewed Protein spider silk via fermentation. Direct competitor in the recombinant spider silk market, pursuing similar apparel and luxury fashion customer segments through partnerships with brands like Goldwin, although using a fundamentally different (fermentation-based) production pathway.
- Bolt Threads: US-based biotechnology company producing lab-grown spider silk proteins via fermentation. Direct competitor targeting apparel and beauty markets with spider silk-inspired proteins (including prior collaborations with Stella McCartney and Patagonia), with similar enterprise sales motion into performance apparel and luxury brands.
- AMSilk: German biotech producing silk proteins via fermentation for cosmetics, medical devices, and textiles. Closely comparable as a spider silk protein supplier with similar B2B go-to-market into fashion and technical textile customers, though focused on protein ingredients rather than full fiber form.
Emerging players
- Modern Meadow: US-based biofabrication company using fermentation and protein engineering to produce sustainable leather and other materials. Comparable as a biotech-driven textile/materials company pursuing luxury and apparel markets with bioengineered protein products, though focused on leather rather than spider silk.
- Ecovative Design: US-based company using mycelium (fungal) biology to grow sustainable materials for packaging, textiles, and food. Adjacent biotech-materials company pursuing similar sustainability-driven textile and consumer applications, though using mycelium rather than engineered silk.
- Seevix Material Sciences: Israeli biotech producing recombinant spider silk via proprietary processes for medical, defense, and textile applications. Closely comparable as a smaller, earlier-stage recombinant spider silk player targeting similar end markets.
- Protein Evolution: US-based startup using AI and synthetic biology to design and produce engineered proteins and fibers, including spider silk-like materials. Comparable as an emerging player in AI-designed protein materials targeting textiles and industrial applications.
- Ananas Anam: Producer of Piñatex, a sustainable leather alternative made from pineapple leaf fiber. Comparable as a sustainable bio-based textile materials supplier targeting fashion and apparel brands, though using plant-based rather than biotech/protein-based fiber production.
- Natural Fiber Welding: US-based materials science company developing plant-based, high-performance fibers (including CLARUS and Mirum) for fashion and automotive markets. Comparable as an emerging sustainable fiber/materials company with similar enterprise sales motion into fashion brands.
- Tandem Repeat Technologies: US-based biotech company engineering recombinant spider silk proteins for technical and biomedical applications. Comparable as a smaller, earlier-stage spider silk biotech pursuing similar technical textile and biomedical end markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories social profiles
Digital presenceKraig Biocraft Laboratories financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kraig Biocraft Laboratories
What does Kraig Biocraft Laboratories do?
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories develops and manufactures recombinant spider silk fibers using genetically engineered silkworms as a biological production platform. The company sells Monster Silk branded fibers, yarns, and fabrics to enterprise customers in performance apparel, luxury fashion, and defense, leveraging existing global silk infrastructure in Southeast Asia rather than fermentation-based alternatives. It also operates an emerging immortalized silk gland cell platform aimed at recombinant protein and biopharmaceutical applications.
Is Kraig Biocraft Laboratories a public or private company?
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Kraig Biocraft Laboratories founded?
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kraig Biocraft Laboratories based?
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories is headquartered in Lansing, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kraig Biocraft Laboratories make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Spider Silk Fiber and Fabric Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing Royalties.
Who are Kraig Biocraft Laboratories's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spiber, Bolt Threads and AMSilk. Emerging players are Modern Meadow, Ecovative Design, Seevix Material Sciences, Protein Evolution, Ananas Anam, Natural Fiber Welding and Tandem Repeat Technologies.
Does Kraig Biocraft Laboratories have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kraig Biocraft Laboratories.
What industry is Kraig Biocraft Laboratories in?
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories's product category is Recombinant Spider Silk Fibers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAAAB, Man-Made Fiber Manufacturing (Polyester/Nylon/Acrylic/Viscose), with a secondary code of IMAMALAK, Bio-based Textiles & Fibers (lyocell/viscose, cellulose filament, nonwovens). Its NAICS code is 32522 and its SIC code is 2221.