Nearly all the biggest names in media and technology descended on Sun Valley last week. Also in the mix: spider silk, quantum physics and automated truck convoys.
Each year, the exclusive conference in Idaho, famous for its deal-making and tycoon crowd, spotlights a handful of young companies. The three startups that presented were tackling problems far afield from the work of the television and film moguls strolling the resort: Bolt Threads Inc makes bio-engineered fabrics; Rigetti Computing is building a quantum computer; and Convoy Inc. makes trucking software. The firms confirmed their participation but declined to comment further.