Crazy Until It's Not: Startups, Venture Capital & Big Ideas cover image

Crazy Until It's Not: Startups, Venture Capital & Big Ideas

We'll No Longer be Farming Cows | Dan Widmaier | Bolt Threads | firstminute capital

Feb 27, 2023
04:33

Science is making MOOOOOOOves to eliminate cow farming! 


At the FF event in Scotland last autumn, we spoke with Dan Widmaier the CEO and co-founder of Bolt Threads about his ‘crazy’ idea for the future. 


Dan originally trained as a scientist at UCSF where he holds a PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology. With that degree, he went on to create Bolt Threads, a sustainable material solutions company. He and his co-founder, David Breslauer, grew Bolt Threads from a couple of scientists and a box full of live spiders to a category-leading biomaterials platform company that has commercialised two materials, Mylo™ and b-silk™, with greater than $1B in addressable market each.


From spiders to cows, Dan’s crazy idea for the future is that we will no longer be farming cows in 20 years. Due to advancements in agriculture and science such as the work Bolt Threads is doing, the cost of cow by-products such as leather, meat and dairy will become more expensive than their vegan counterparts making the sustainable options more popular.  


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