The 2024 runner-up in the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, geCKo Materials , returned to the stage at this year’s show to debut new products as it pushes deeper into commercializing its tech.

Founder Dr. Capella Kerst revealed four new uses of geCKo’s super-strong dry adhesive: a semiconductor wafer handling tool, a robotic gripper for smooth surfaces (like solar panels or glass), a curved robotic “end effector” for more irregular shapes, and an all-purpose gripper for robotic arms.

The geCKo tech is inspired by the way real-life lizards use their feet to grip surfaces. Kerst positions it like a new form of Velcro, but one that leaves no residue, can quickly attach and detach, and requires no electrical charge or suction. A one-inch tile of the material can hold 16 pounds, and

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