21-Year-Old Biotech Entrepreneur Mutilates Himself As Part Of Investor Pitch — And It Worked

Jake Adler, the 21-year-old founder of defense-biotech startup Pilgrim, landed $4.3 million in seed cash Friday after emailing investors a grisly video of himself carving open both thighs to demo his company’s rapid-clot dressing, Kingsfoil.

Pilgrim says the clay-based gauze could save soldiers’ lives by sealing traumatic wounds within seconds; Adler’s video was meant to prove it works before regulators or peer-reviewed trials can. The round was led by Cantos with Thiel Capital, Day One Ventures and Refactor Capital, according to Business Insider. (RELATED: Secretive Tech Giant Lands Historic Army Contract Worth Billions)

“We look for people who stand out and are a little weird,” Cantos partner Ian Rountree said of Adler. “Jake is exceptional.”

Okay maybe Jake took “blood, sweat, & tears” a little too literally but we co-led his pre-seed round w/ @zalzally/@refactor because of that intoxicating mix of intensity and a space sorely in need of innovation@pilgrimlabs has the opportunity to be the 1st biotech defense prime https://t.co/nER71iXwd9

— ian (@IanRountree) August 1, 2025

Adler filmed himself numbing both legs with lidocaine, punching two precise holes and packing one with Kingsfoil while leaving the other untreated for contrast, the outlet reported.

“I was very cautious,” he told Business Insider, adding that he cleared the stunt with his mother first.

When the material hits blood it “morphs into a gel-like consistency” that staunches bleeding and speeds healing, Adler claims, with no side effects beyond mild irritation.

Kingsfoil hasn’t reached shelves yet. Because similar hemostatic agents already exist, Adler told the outlet the product could clear an “expedited pathway” through the Food and Drug Administration in about six months, though a full novel review could stretch to 18.

Pilgrim is also reportedly prototyping Voyager, an inhaled mist meant to neutralize chemical weapons, and ARGUS, a sensor network to detect biological threats at ports and hospitals. The five-person team operates from a hybrid office-lab in California, according to Business Insider. (RELATED: Pharma Giant Moves To Buy Bankrupt DNA Collection Company With Access To Largest Genetic Database On Earth)

Adler called the Pentagon his “initial and first market” because military medics face needs “five to 10 years ahead” of civilian emergency rooms, the outlet reported.

The on-camera bloodletting reportedly drew no pushback from Pilgrim’s backers. Adler argues self-experimentation is perfectly legal.

“In the same way you can get a tattoo, I’m allowed to do anything to my own body,” he said.