From Startup Battlefield to the International Space Station: gCKo Materials has built a consistent product

For a successful deep tech startup, a lab hack is just the first step. To turn an innovative technology into a scalable business, a founder must go through a complex legal process.

This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johansen speaks with Capella Kirst, founder and CEO of gEco materials and Second place in the 2024 TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Championship. Kirst was a doctoral student at Stanford University, where he was working on bio-inspired adhesives, materials modeled after the microscopic hairs that allow geckos to stick to walls. She wasn’t looking to become a founder, but when she made a breakthrough that made it possible to manufacture the material quickly and reliably, she realized it was a viable product.

But translating a lab discovery into a startup is less about the “eureka” moment and more about everything that comes after.

“I got the courage to really approach my advisor like we need to have a serious conversation about creating and starting this company,” Capella said. That conversation was the beginning of a long process of building Gecko materials.

Here’s a roadmap for founders taking a product outside of academia.

• Connect with previous contributors. Connect with all the people whose work led to your big breakthrough. Kirst offered these shareholders the options of joining the company, becoming advisors, or receiving compensation.
• Ensure that you meet the requirements of the licensing process. Kirst began her conversations with Stanford’s Technology Licensing Office early, learning how to deal with the matter, and she needed to complete her Ph.D. These early conversations also helped her prepare for the upcoming operation.
• Company formation and attorney. In this case, Stanford provided a list of attorneys that Kirst had to retain. “I spent time interviewing lawyers and learning about case studies, what other people got, what I paid, what didn’t work, what was put off. So I just learned a lot, picked my lawyer, and then we went to Stanford.” “I was like, ‘I want a good deal,’ because I want this to be a great company, and I think it’s going to benefit everyone,” Kirst said.
• Move fully into the founder role. Once the licensing agreement is finalized, it’s time to transition from PhD to CEO.

Five years later, gCKo Materials continues to scale and develop new ways to apply its adhesive technology, which is being tested in applications ranging from robotics and manufacturing to automotive and even aerospace. The company’s materials are already in use on the International Space Station, and Kirst says the long-term vision includes replacing traditional fastening methods like Velcro or suction systems.

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Isabel Johansson is our host. Build mode Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development is led by Morgan Little. And special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.