Hardware Podcasts

Alex Blum: $1200 Houses, Plant-based Plastics, Political Activism, and BioFi | Hard Tech Podcast #11

Hard Tech Podcast · 20 Aug 2023 · 1h 24m

What this episode covers

Alex Blum, co-founder and CEO of Applied Bioplastics, discusses his company's plant-based biocomposites, specifically the refugee shelter material Betterboard and the injection-moldable thermoplastic BioFi. He explains how Applied Bioplastics avoids the common failure mode of bioplastics startups by licensing their cellulose-compatibilizing technology to existing compounders rather than building factories, ensuring commodity pricing and compatibility with standard industry equipment. Blum also details the company's low-tech, hand-layup manufacturing process for shelters that empowers local communities in disaster zones, and shares his personal philosophy on employee retention and his response to a severe health diagnosis.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Applied Bioplastics, Mercedes, Coke Industries, Shell, BP, Amazon
Products
Betterboard, BioFi, Juten
Tools
Monday.com
Also
United Nations, FEMA, Docubay

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