geCKo Materials scales bio-inspired adhesives from lab to space

The transition from academic research to commercial application is a notoriously difficult path for deep tech startups. For geCKo Materials, a company built on bio-inspired adhesives, that journey has led from a university laboratory all the way to orbit. Founded by Capella Kerst, a former Stanford PhD student, the company has developed a sticky product modeled after the microscopic hairs that allow geckos to adhere to surfaces. Today, the company’s material is currently in use on the International Space Station, demonstrating the viability of the technology in extreme environments.

Before reaching space, however, Kerst had to navigate the complex process of spinning out—the process of moving technology from academic research to a commercial company. While working on the bio-inspired adhesives at Stanford, a manufacturing breakthrough prompted her to transition from researcher to entrepreneur. This shift required initiating difficult conversations within the university. Kerst recalled having to gather the courage to seriously discuss spinning out the company with her academic advisor.

The transition required formalizing licensing agreements with Stanford’s office of technology licensing, which mandated that Kerst complete her PhD and select legal representation from a university-approved list. Kerst approached the negotiations with a focus on long-term commercial viability. “I spent time interviewing lawyers and finding out about case studies, what other people got, what did you push, what didn’t work, what got pushed back on. And so I just learned a ton, picked my lawyer, and then we went at Stanford,” said Kerst, the founder and CEO of geCKo Materials. She explained that she wanted to secure a favorable deal to ensure the business could scale into a large company that would benefit all parties involved.

Five years after its founding, geCKo Materials is continuing to scale. The company, which was the runner-up in the 2024 Startup Battlefield—a startup competition hosted by TechCrunch—is now testing its adhesive technology across multiple sectors, including robotics, manufacturing, automotive, and space. According to Kerst, the long-term vision for the company includes replacing traditional attachment methods like Velcro or suction systems with its bio-inspired adhesive. The company’s trajectory highlights the opportunities available to academic spinouts that successfully navigate early licensing hurdles. For other early-stage founders looking to showcase their own minimum viable products, TechCrunch hosts its annual Disrupt conference in San Francisco from October 13 to 15, drawing 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts.

Why it matters

geCKo Materials illustrates the complex path of commercializing deep tech, showing how founders must navigate academic licensing and legal hurdles to scale lab-grown innovations into real-world applications like space exploration.