KBLB Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (QB)

ITEM 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS.

Overview

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a Wyoming corporation, is a corporation organized to develop high strength fibers using recombinant DNA technology for commercial applications in technical textile. We use genetically engineered silkworms that produce spider silk to create our recombinant spider silk. Applications include performance apparel, workwear, filtration, luxury fashion, flexible composites, medical implants, and more. We believe that we have been a leader in the research and development of commercially scalable and cost effective spider silk for technical textile. Our primary proprietary fiber technology includes natural and engineered variants of spider silk produced in domesticated mulberry silkworms. Our business brings twenty-first century biotechnology to the historical silk industry, permitting us to introduce materials with innovative properties and claims into an established commercial ecosystem of silkworm rearing, silk spinning and weaving, and manufacture of garments and other products that can include our specialty fibers and textiles. Specialty fibers are engineered for specific uses that require exceptional strength, flexibility, heat resistance and/or chemical resistance. The specialty fiber market is exemplified by two synthetic fiber products that come from petroleum derivatives: (1) aramid fibers; and (2) ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. The technical textile industry involves products for both industrial and consumer products, such as filtration fabrics, medical textiles (e.g., sutures and artificial ligaments), safety and protective clothing and fabrics used in military and aerospace applications (e.g., high-strength composite materials).

We are using genetic engineering technologies to develop fibers with greater strength, resiliency and flexibility for use in our target markets, namely 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. Production of our product in commercial quantities holds what we believe to be potential life-saving ballistic resistant material, which we believe is lighter, thinner, more flexible, and tougher than steel. 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. 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 do not require petroleum inputs and our production processes are traditional and eco-friendly.

The Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm to our financial statements as of December 31, 2020 include an explanatory paragraph stating that our net loss from operations and net capital deficiency at December 31, 2020 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 at www.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 February, 2019, we signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with Polartec LLC for the development of products for the protective textile markets.

On April 16, 2020, the Company announced that it successfully developed a new technology platform, based on a non-CRISPR gene editing knock-in knock-out technology. This is the first knock-in knock-out technology essentially pure spider silk transgenic in the Company’s history. The new technology, which is the result of over ten years of effort, hits the target of one of the Company’s primary technological goals and potentially opens the door for large scale U.S. production. Other than the silkworm’s remaining specifically desired native silk protein elements, we are now able to produce nearly pure spider silk. Based on our internal studies, the new technology has a purity rate that is about ten times greater than Dragon Silk, a fiber that the Company developed with its previous tools. Dragon Silk has already demonstrated to be tougher than many fibers used in bullet proof vests and the Company expects that the increased spider silk purity, created using this new approach, will yield materials beyond those capabilities. This new system utilizes the Company’s eco-friendly and cost-effective silkworm production system, which we believe is significantly more advanced than any of the competing methods. We have already begun the validation process for the first of these new transgenics and anticipate that U.S. production will be possible as early as 2022 or 2023.

This does not affect our current work of overseeing our production facility to ramp up our production of Dragon Silk^TM and Monster Silk®, as these fibers are designed to address their own markets.

In August 2019, we received authorization to begin rearing genetically enhanced silkworms at our production facility in Vietnam. We received our investment registration certificate for the facility in April 2018. In October 2019, the Company delivered the first batch of these silkworms and began operations. These silkworms will serve as the basis for the commercial expansion of our proprietary silk technology. On November 4, 2019, we reported that we had successfully completed rearing the first batch of its transgenic silkworms at the Quang Nam production factory. Seasonal challenges in late December 2019 slowed production operations and the restrictions imposed due to the global pandemic further delayed our operations in 2020 by about 4-6 months. However, we were able to resume production operations of our specialized silk in October 2020, once travel and work restrictions for COVID-19 were lifted. In January of 2021 we received the first shipment of silk from our factory in Vietnam. We believe that we will be able to target a capacity of 40 metric tons of our recombinant spider silk fiber per annum from this factory once it reaches maximum utilization. This capacity will allow us to address initial demand for our products and materials for various applications in the protective, performance, and luxury textile markets.

In light of the significant uncertainty regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 19, 2020, we furloughed non-essential staff consistent with leading health official recommendations in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This decision was made in an abundance of caution and primarily impacted staff at our fully owned subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles, in Vietnam and resulted in the temporary closing of silk rearing operations at that facility. As of the date hereof, we have resumed silk production operations at the factory in Vietnam. The temporary suspension of rearing operations resulted in a delay of 4-6 months in the Company’s production expansion schedule. The Company supported its furloughed staff and paid their salaries through June 30, 2020. During the duration of the furlough, the Company CEO did not receive or accrue any salary. On July 1, 2020, furloughed staff returned to work preparing the factory in Vietnam to receive the next shipment of silkworm eggs. On October 24, 2020, silk production operations at the factory resumed and in January of 2021 the first production silk sample was completed. The global pandemic of COVID-19 continues to evolve rapidly, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely, including its potential effect on our plans and timelines.

Reverse Stock Split

At our 2019 annual stockholders meeting, our stockholders approved a reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding Common Stock by a ratio of not less than one-for-ten and not more than one-for-forty at any time prior to July 23, 2020, with the exact ratios to be set at a whole number within this range, as determined by our board of directors (the “Board”) in its sole discretion and approved and adopted the articles of amendment to our articles of incorporation to affect the same. Since we are still in the uplisting process with Nasdaq, but past July 23, 2020, such stockholder approval expired. However, on January 25, 2021, we obtained the written consent from a majority of our stockholders to effect the Reverse Stock Split before December 31, 2021, at a whole number within the range of not less than one-for-ten and not more than one-for-one hundred, and file articles of amendment to our articles of incorporation to affect same (the “Common Stock Written Consent”); the Board again retains sole discretion to determine the final ratio and timing to implement the Reverse Stock Split. As of the date of this Report, the Board has not yet effected the Reverse Stock Split.

Decrease in Series A Preferred Stock Voting Power

In line with the Reverse Stock Split, the sole holder of our Series A Preferred Stock, Mr. Thompson, who is also our CEO and sole director, approved, via written consent, to reduce the voting rights of the Series A preferred stock by the same ratio used for the Reverse Stock Split (the “Reduced Voting Power”), to be effective as of the date of the Reverse Stock Split. Mr. Thompson’s consent, together with the Common Stock Written Consent, provides the Board with the authority to amend our articles of incorporation to reflect the Reduced Voting Power. Following the Reduced Voting Power, we will no longer be considered a “Controlled Company,” which Nasdaq Stock Market Rules define as any company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, a group or another company. As of the date of this Report, the Company has not filed the amendment to its articles of incorporation to effect the Reduced Voting Power.

The Product

Our products exploit the unique characteristics of spider silk, specifically dragline silk from Nephila 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 blends the silk proteins found in spider silk with the native silkworm silk proteins. This approach allows for the cost-effective and eco-responsible production of spider silk at commercial production levels.

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 apparel, and composites.

Other Products

We are continuing to develop new recombinant silks and other protein-based fibers and materials using our genetic engineering capabilities. We recently unveiled our first knock in knock out spider silk material using our silkworm based production platform. These new spider silk fibers offer increased silk purity. Due to the biocompatible and biodegradable properties of silk, we expect that the new materials developed using this higher purity 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 April 2011, we entered into a licensing agreement with Sigma-Aldrich which provides us the use of Sigma-Aldrich’s zinc finger technology to accelerate and enhance our product development. 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 spider DNA genes. In this way, we can combine different spider genetic cassettes to create a fiber with the desired physical and mechanical properties more rapidly than through conventional methods.

In addition to this ability to easily mix and match DNA construction, we have also adapted new approaches to accelerate the rate we generate new transgenic silkworms. Our initial approaches limited us to process silkworm eggs at a rate of roughly 50-200 a day, however, we have developed a new approach which allows us to process thousands of eggs a day. Utilizing both visual and non-visual genetic markers, we have successfully developed methods to speed up the screening of potentially transgenic silkworms, which allows for rapid screening of transgenic eggs. The eggs expressing the new spider silk constructs are propagated while the eggs without the visual marker are discarded, greatly increasing the efficiency of our screen for transgenic eggs. This new approach has been highly effective in increasing the rate of development for new transgenics. We have employed this new procedure and have filed provisional patent applications to protect its use.

We utilize the latest advancements in molecular biology and genetic engineering to deliver targeted gene incorporations. The new constructs are designed to integrate in the silkworm genome directly where the native silkworm silk is created. First made public in April 2020, this new capability allows for the full knock out and knock in replacement of the native silkworm heavy chain silk protein. We believe that this increased expression and incorporation of the spider protein into the silkworm cocoon leading to increased performance and open the door for additional opportunities beyond fibers and textiles.

This comparison table was the result of research performed by Randolph Lewis, Ph.D. at the University of Wyoming. Such work was summarized in an article entitled “Spider Silk: Ancient Ideas for New Biomaterials” which was published in Chemicals Review, volume 106, issue 9, pages 3672–3774. The measurements in joules in the table above are a conversion from Dr. Lewis’ measurements in newtons/meter squared.

We believe that the genetically engineered protein-based fibers we currently produce have properties that are superior to the materials currently available in the marketplace, including but not limited to, aramid fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and steel. For example, as noted above, the ability of spider silk to absorb in excess of 100,000 joules of kinetic energy per kilogram makes it a potentially ideal material for structural blast protection.

Production of this material in commercial quantities holds the potential of a life-saving ballistic resistant material, which is lighter, thinner, 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 from the material. Other 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, including Polartec and other leaders in 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 easy 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).

Over several years, we sought a license for an Enterprise Registration Certificate (“ERC”) in order to begin operations in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, an important region for sericulture. In May 2018, we announced that we were granted an ERC, and thereafter formed a subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles, Co., Ltd. (“Prodigy Textiles”) to implement our Vietnam business. In June 2018, we announced that we had entered collaborative agreements with several silk farming cooperatives in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, and that these cooperatives had begun planting mulberry, the key production input for our technology; in July 2018, we celebrated the grand opening of Prodigy Textiles’ facility in Quang Nam province. In December 2018, we made the first shipment of our specialized silkworm to Vietnam to conduct trial rearing and to demonstrate their safety. In October 2019, we delivered the first batch of production silkworms and began operations. These silkworms will serve as the basis for the commercial expansion of our proprietary silk technology. On November 4, 2019, we reported that we successfully completed rearing the first batch of its transgenic silkworms at the Quang Nam production factory. Seasonal challenges in late December 2019 slowed production operations and the restrictions imposed due to the global pandemic further delayed our operations in 2020 by about 4-6 months. However, we were able to resume production operations of our specialized silk in October 2020, once travel and work restrictions for COVID-19 were lifted. In January of 2021 we delivered the first production sample of silk from our factory in Vietnam. We believe that we will be able to target a capacity of 40 metric tons of our recombinant spider silk fiber per annum from this factory once it reaches maximum utilization. This capacity will allow us to address initial demand for our products and materials for various applications in the protective, performance, and luxury textile markets.

We contract local farmer and farming cooperatives to provide fresh mulberry for our operations. 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 recombinant spider silk threads such as Dragon Silk^TM and 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 recombinant 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 a capacity of 40 metric tons of recombinant spider silk fiber per annum from this factory once it reaches maximum utilization. This capacity will allow us to address our anticipated initial demand for applications in the protective, performance, and luxury textile markets from Polartec and other companies with whom we have a relationship, but which we cannot disclose due to non-disclosure agreements.

Our long-term goal for Prodigy Textiles is to create a research center for development of our specialized silk, to contract with local farming cooperatives to grow upwards of 2,500 hectares of mulberry (which would allow for production of up to 250 metric tons of our high strength silk per year), and to serve as our principal manufacturing center.

In addition, in light of the significant uncertainty regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 19, 2020, we furloughed non-essential staff consistent with leading health official recommendations in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This decision was made in an abundance of caution and will primarily impact staff at our fully owned subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles, in Vietnam and resulted in the temporary closing of silk rearing operations at that facility. As of the date hereof, we have resumed silk production operations at the factory in Vietnam. The temporary suspension of rearing operations resulted in a delay of 4-6 months in the Company’s production expansion schedule. The Company supported its furloughed staff and paid their salaries through June 30, 2020. During the duration of the furlough, the Company CEO did not receive or accrue any salary. On July 1, 2020, furloughed staff returned to work preparing the factory in Vietnam to receive the next shipment of silkworm eggs. On October 24, 2020, silk production operations at the factory resumed. In January 2021 we delivered the first production silk sample from the factory. The global pandemic of COVID-19 continues to evolve rapidly, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely, including its potential effect on our plans and timelines. See, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak.”

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 $184 billion in 2020 and projected to reach $250 billion by 2027¹.

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

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 many times 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 demand for spider silk materials across the broad spectrum of applications for high performance fibers and textiles, combined with the limited initial production capacity, has provided the opportunity to be selective in choosing market channel partners best able to quickly 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. In January 2021 the Company announced its partnership and exlusive purchase agreement worth up to $40 million with M the Movement by Kings Group. This partnership will establish a jointly owned apparel and fashion brand headquarter in Singapore focues on sales to the ASEAN region. With recent advancements in our manufacturing capacity, we expect to generate revenues from these relationships in 2021.

Research and Development

In 2007, we entered into the first series of the Notre Dame Agreements to develop new transgenic silkworms. On September 29, 2010, we announced that we had achieved our longstanding goal of producing new silk fibers composed of recombinant proteins. In 2016, we received a contract from the U.S. Army to deliver the first samples of its recombinant spider silk materials. In 2017, this contract was expanded to include research into the development of stronger silk materials. As a result of that contract, the Company brought its research operations in-house, opening its own research laboratories and expanding its scientific staff. This transition to in-house operations has led to a series of new technical breakthroughs and is believed to have accelerated the pace of new development. We intend to turn its technology to the development and production of high performance polymers.

During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we have spent approximately 11,754 hours and 12,450 hours, respectively, on research and development activities, which consisted primarily of laboratory research on genetic engineering by our in-house research operations.

As of the date of this Report, our research and development efforts remain focused on growing our internal capabilities, but we may consider renewing funding of the collaborative research and development of high strength polymers with Notre Dame or other joint development opportunities; we have not had any formal discussions regarding any such collaborations.

We have initiated commercial scale production of our recombinant materials including Monster Silk® and Dragon Silk^TM. Additionally, we plan to accelerate both our microbiology and selective breeding programs, as well as providing more resources for their material testing protocols in 2021.

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 spider silk gene sequences in silkworm. Under the exclusive license agreement with the University of Wyoming (the “Exclusive Licensing Agreement”), we have obtained certain exclusive rights to use numerous genetic sequences which are the subject of U.S. patents.

Under the Notre Dame Agreements, we were issued and 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 to our knowledge, is the only proven commercially scaled system for producing 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 six additional provisional patent filings based on new discoveries and inventions and made numerous advancements that have decreased the development time for new technologies, none of which rely on the patented material from our collaboration with Notre Dame. We will continue to utilize this in-house research facility to expand and strengthen its patent portfolio while also maintaining and growing its trade secret technologies approach to genetic advancement. We are actively working to develop and patent 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.

The introduction of the gene sequence, in the manner employed by us, results in a germline transformation and is therefore self-perpetuating.

License Agreements/Intellectual Property

We have obtained certain rights to use a number of university created, and patented, spider silk proteins, gene sequences and methodologies.

As part of the Notre Dame Agreements, we exercised our option for the exclusive commercial rights to technologies derived from a family of patent applications filed in various jurisdictions worldwide. As of the date of this filing, four patents 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 locations are a mix of silk producing and consuming locations. We believe protecting our technologies in these locations will be beneficial to our future operations.

In addition to the patents related to licensed technologies from Notre Dame listed above, we have filed two full patents and four provisional patent applications based on technologies developed and discovered as a result of its independent research operations.

* 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 transgenic 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:

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, but in the future we may consider forming new collaborative research agreements.

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 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. We have also agreed to pay to Notre Dame $50,000 a year, which will be reduced from the total amount of royalties paid in the same year. The $50,000 payment to Notre Dame is not owed for any year in which the Company is sponsoring research within Notre Dame.

Exclusive License Agreement with the University of Wyoming

In May 2006, we entered into a license agreement with the University of Wyoming, pursuant to which we have licensed the right to commercialize the production by silkworms of certain synthetic and natural spider silk proteins and the genetic sequencing for such spider silk proteins. These spider silk proteins and genetic sequencing are covered by patents held by the University of Wyoming. Our license allows us only to use silkworms to produce the licensed proteins and genetic sequencing. We have the right to sublicense the intellectual property that we license from the University of Wyoming. Our license agreement with the University of Wyoming required that we pay licensing and research fees to the university in exchange for an exclusive license in our field of use for certain university-developed intellectual property including patented spider silk gene sequences. Pursuant to the agreement, we issued 17,500,000 shares of our Common Stock to the University Foundation. Our license agreement with the University of Wyoming was to continue until the later of (i) expiration of the last-to-expire patent we license from the University of Wyoming under this license agreement in such country or (ii) ten years from the date of first commercial sale of a licensed product in such country. There are no royalties payable to the University of Wyoming under the terms of our agreement with them. We anticipate making arrangements with the University of Wyoming to address any accrued or unpaid fees which may exist.

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 our investment registration certificate for our facility in Vietnam. On May 1, 2018, we were issued our ERC so that we can begin our operations in Vietnam. We have established a subsidiary in Vietnam where we will develop and produce hybrid silkworms. Management believes the ERC puts the Company on a path to scale at a much greater level by harnessing existing silk production infrastructure with the capacity to match the existing demand for their spider silk materials.

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.

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 the products we sell, the methods we use to sell these products and/or the production of the products we sell. 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.

Environment

We seek to comply with 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 the 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 are also very low maintenance, while still providing essential global green-cover and significantly help in reducing soil erosion in areas.

In addition to climate impacts of the fermentation approach, solvents typically used to wet-spin fibers can have significant environmental impacts. DMSO, a common wet-spinning solvent, can be absorbed directly through human skin, carrying with it potentially dangerous side effects. This is another reason we pride ourselves on the use of silkworms, which do not require the use of DMSO, to produce our products.

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 our 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 the same results that we have achieved, but through different and more complex means. The Company believes that its competitors will continue to overspend while struggling to deliver the results that we have been able to achieve utilizing the existing global infrastructure.

Based on our research and internal assessments, the following chart illustrates why we believe we have a competitive advantage over our three main, known competitors:

Employees

The Company currently employees 9 people at its U.S. facilities, 8 full-time and 1 part-time, which includes Kim Thompson, our sole officer and director and Jonathan R. Rice, our Chief Operating Officer. The Company employs 7 full time personnel at its Vietnamese subsidiary. We plan to hire more persons on as-needed basis.