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🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.
Today, we are talking to Oliver Shafaat from Sci-Lume Labs
Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lori Dunn, who is decarbonizing today - but we wouldn’t have new technology like that without people like our guests today. Oliver Shafaat, the founder of Sci-Lume Labs.
Today’s core discussion points are…
The overall problem with the apparel industry
How they are solving it using an agriculture waste feedstock to create circular fibers (bylon)
The challenges and process of developing deep-tech
And much more…
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The Guest: Oliver Shafaat
After finishing his PhD at Caltech, Oliver worked with Spiber Inc in Japan where he was studying advanced fibers.
Eventually, he felt the itch of entrepreneurship and knew he had to pull that thread to see where it led.
Fast forward to today, he’s now a Gener8tor alumni, based in Oklahoma, developing his technology day by day.
The Startup: Sci-Lume Labs
Sustainable Fibers, Circularity, Biotech, Bylon
One-liner: Developing fully recycalbe fibers from agricultural waste as the feedstock, to substantially reduce emissions in the apparel industry.
Founded in 2022, the comapny is iterating quickly to develop recyclalbe fibers. They call it bylon.
To date, Oliver has been named Biotech Innovator of the year. Sci-Lume has gone through the Gener8tor accelerator program.
Step by step they are advancing to commercialization out of their Oklahoma-based lab.
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📝 Show Notes:
Topics
01:16 Intro
02:16 The Challenges of the Apparel Industry
04:34 The Inspiration behind Bylon
11:45 Evaluating Polymers
13:59 Starting a Company
15:22 Funding the Company
18:45 The Process of Making Fibers
23:19 Sourcing Feedstocks
25:27 The Sustainability of Bylon
28:31 Recyclability and End-of-Life
30:21 IP and Business Model
32:04 Scaling Up and Challenges Ahead
34:58 Pilot Conversations
38:49 Interest from Clothing Manufacturers
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🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode!
#161 Bylon, Recyclable Fibers, Ag Waste to Threads, Innovating Past Mistakes, & More w/ Oliver Shafaat (Sci-Lume Labs)