I suppose I fundamentally disagree with this statement. I don't think anyone is afraid of KBLB. The potential competitor's RATE of progress (note: rate does not equal position) does not indicate that anyone has thrown in the towel.
This race is by no means over, and in fact, I think it's clear that it's heating up. Unless KBLB has a monster in the chamber, which it has kept us COMPLETELY in the dark about, we are still in a very vulnerable position when it comes to being first-to-market.
Right now I am only uncomfortable because Kim elects to keep us ignorant. I understand why, but that doesn't change the reality. Absent evidence to the contrary, I can still rely on what I know. And knowledge is always the power.
The fact that there are so many different people trying to get silk worms to do this is a good reason to stay silent. IMO Kim has told us what is happening. You just have to see what is being omitted.
For instance we have a process to be able to separate the fibers so we can give a consistent supply. What is left out is that since we did not have that process before, the consistency was a variable.
So if they need to sort the silk by quality (something already done in the silk industry)that would delay the metric ton estimate.
So we are past mid year and we do not have our metric ton quantity of top grade MS. But we were told why. We were told what the issue was. We were told it is solved.
It isn't that the tons are not going to happen it is a question of the percentage of silk that is good. That is something that Kim should not put out. If 60% of our silk is the required specs it will take us a month or 2 if it is 10% they will need to find ways to improve on it. That is pretty easily done with the diet and habitat control.
Nothing has changed except the expected target date. Kim should update us but I am OK with not getting the news. It is allowing me to wait for a real good bottom to buy at. The longer it takes the lower my average.
I am buying a bit in the low 5s and waiting for a .04x if it happens