Kind Designs raises additional $5m to advance 3D printed seawalls
Kind Designs, a Miami-based startup working to 3D print the World’s first 'living seawalls', has raised 5 million USD in its latest funding round.
Led by Overlay Capital with participation from strategic investors across construction, government, and infrastructure sectors, the Seed 1 funding round puts the company's valuation at 30 million USD. A previous round of funding last year saw the company raise 6.5 million USD at a valuation of 18 million USD.
Kind Designs leverages a suite of robots to construct and repair seawalls with concrete 3D printing technology. Its process, the company claims, is up to 20 times faster than traditional construction processes, with its robots able to print on-site or at a warehouse. The company uses high-performance mortar and marine-grade concrete to ensure the structures are durable.
Since its first funding round, Kind Designs has moved into a 50,000-square-foot facility in Miami, expanded its team to ten employees and three robots, and installed its first 3D printed seawall in Miami beach. Concurrently, the company has been printing 'back to back residential and commercial projects,' bringing in around 600,000 USD in revenue and winning two government contracts in Florida.
Kind Designs secured Phase 1 grants from both the U.S. Navy (NAVSEA) and U.S. Air Force (AFWERX), with Phase 2 projects now underway at MacDill Air Force Base and the South Florida Ocean Measurement Facility. This work with the government is said to be contributing to a 180 million USD pipeline of public-sector projects across the next two years.
The company also has a 10 million USD residential project pipeline within South Florida and eight projects underway in New York City. Meanwhile, the company says that recent legislative wins and marine studies have further validated its approach, promoting biomimicry designs that enhance coastal ecosystems. Research from Florida International University found over 1,000 oysters, mussels, sponges, algae, and eight fish species colonising the first 100 linear feet of Kind Designs’ seawall within nine months of deployment.
Kind Designs founder and CEO Anya Freeman has said this latest funding round is about 'scaling production, impact and coastal resiliency at a time when it's needed most.' The company's investors concur.
"Investing in Kind Designs was an easy decision—they’re tackling critical challenges with a forward-thinking approach and innovative technology," said America businessman Mark Cuban, an early investor in Kind Designs. "I’m excited to double down and continue this journey with them as they shape the future of coastal resiliency."
"At Overlay, we invest in the built environment, where technology adoption is historically slow," added Julieta Moradei, Managing Partner at Overlay Capital. "Kind Designs is moving at a rare pace, solving a $20B+ infrastructure gap with regenerative, scalable solutions. They’re transforming how critical infrastructure gets built."
