engineering and metallurgy.
SXSW Pitch Finalist: MolyWorks
The Forrest Four-Cast: March 3, 2020
“If you look at the four quadrants of the circular economy, the fourth one — collection, sorting, reprocessing — is the most difficult part. People are willing to send the scrap once or twice, but then they don’t,” says Christopher Eonta, Founder and CEO of MolyWorks. “Wherever the scrap metal is, that’s where you need to be able to convert it into a product again.”
One of 50 finalists for SXSW Pitch 2020, MolyWorks is building a distributed recycling network to convert scrap metal into additive manufacturing grade powder and parts at the point of need. Using a patented process, the company addresses a circular metal economy for additive manufacturing, serving aerospace, defense, heavy industry, marine, oil and gas, medical, construction, and consumers.
The MolyWorks’ deployable manufacturing system can be used in remote locations to create a closed-loop part life cycle. Parts which frequently break may be melted, converted to powder, and printed into new parts.
See the pitch at SXSW in the category of Innovative World Technology, 5 pm to 6 pm Saturday, March 14, before a live audience and a panel of expert judges.
Winners in each of the 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Awards Ceremony, at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 15. SXSW attendees are also invited to Meet the Finalists from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday, March 16. All SXSW Pitch events take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
Eonta talked about the fun of poking around Steve Wozniak’s house, climbing to the top of the world, and the benefits of seeing the future.
What is your top goal for MolyWorks for 2020?
Commercialize recycling as a service.
With the exception of MolyWorks, what tech trend is your team most excited about?
The circular economy and eliminating single-use plastics. I’d like to see our society start valuing Earth’s natural capital. Decades if not centuries are required for Mother Nature to build the ecosystems we are aggressively harvesting. You can replant a forest but you can’t speed up the time it takes for it to grow. Older forests have superior carbon capacity and are likely more efficient. Conservation provides Mother Nature enough time to thrive.
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
Appreciate the people in your life and value the time you spend with them. I started a business because I saw the potential in additive manufacturing and I wanted to be a leader in this revolution.
What motto or quote do you live by?
“Recycle today to print tomorrow” has been kind of our company slogan/motto. Personally I have been on an “act now” motto. Meaning following your intuition and take action.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten — or given?
In an early investor meeting, a very successful and experienced investor stopped me during my pitch and said, “son, your vision is going to require you to climb Everest and I’m too old and don’t want to die on the way up with you. If you pull it off though, enjoy the view, because you will be on top of the world.” He never invested and I’m still climbing Everest.
What’s your super power?
Seeing the future. Sometimes it’s with people and sometimes with technology. I usually can see an outcome or I have a vision of the future. When I have the conviction and discipline to act, I’ve been rewarded.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Elon Musk. I have followed him since college when Tesla was about $25/share. He takes on problems that benefit humanity and builds products that dominate the legacy/stagnate players. I got to watch the Falcon Heavy Launch (with the roadster as a payload) from Cocoa Beach during a family vacation. I was buzzing from the start of the launch until we could no longer see the rocket. Even my dad had a little kid grin on his face. A few minutes later, we heard two huge booms. Then we saw the boosters gracefully coming down and landing. That was the most inspiring thing I have ever seen, who said you can’t collect your boosters after launch?
Tell us your favorite thing about being based in Los Gatos, Calif.
Walking out of my office and onto the Los Gatos creek trail. Looking at the Santa Cruz Mountains while I ponder the future for MolyWorks.
Tell us about something you love.
Playing with our daughter, she’s three, which means everything is awesome!
Personally I have been enjoying roller blading. Skating to and home from the office has been something I look forward to. Nice to get the blood pumping and feel the fresh air.
Tell us about a memorable celebrity encounter.
One day during the summer MolyWorks was founded, my co-founder and our wives spent the day at Steve Wozniak’s old Los Gatos Hills home. Mr. Wozniak no longer lived there but we got to enjoy an amazing property. He built a kids’ play area in what was basically the attic of the house and near the pool was something called the man cave. Literally a cave with all kinds of incredible things to discover: fossils, gems, stereo, the list is endless. Didn’t even talk to Mr. Wozniak but I felt like I got to know him.
If you were offered the opportunity to colonize Mars (but with no guarantee that you would ever return to Earth), would you go?
As long as there was room for a few others and our metal recycling technology!
If you weren’t working for MolyWorks, what would you be doing?
I’ve told my wife that if I get fired from MolyWorks then I will re-invent laundry. A robot must be more efficient :)
Look for more interviews with other finalists in this space between now and the start of SXSW Pitch on Saturday, March 14. Visit this page to see all previous interviews in this series as well as a list of all finalists.
If you are an entrepreneur, check out the SXSW 2020 Startups Track, which runs March 13–17. This track brings together founders and funders and showcases exciting new companies, products, services, and business models across different verticals and industries.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
