Latest news with #LivingSeawall
CBS News
16-07-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Experimental tiles bring life to seawall along San Francisco's Embarcacero
Along San Francisco's Embarcadero, a groundbreaking experiment is revealing promising results. At the aging seawall, during low tide, a diver with the Port of San Francisco carefully removed nine experimental tiles early Monday. Three years ago, port technicians installed them on the seawall, and into bay waters. Now, after two years of monitoring, the tiles were slowly hoisted up, placed into protective bags, and into the hands of scientists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, or SERC for short. Each tile has become a thriving new community – packed with marine life. "Even in the midst of the city with all its hard structures, that marine life still finds habitat, and we're just trying to enhance that," Jeffrey Blumenthal, a biological sciences technician with the SERC, said as he inspected one of the tiles. The tiles are part of a special collaboration between the Port and SERC known as the Living Seawall pilot project. Tiles have special textured surfaces that are intended to promote biodiversity and support native species. "Living seawalls are this idea of how we still protect and provide the needs of shoreline defense that a seawall does but how can we add some habitat value to it," said Corryn Knapp, a scientist at the Smithsonian. San Francisco's rock and concrete seawall was built more than 150 years ago. Experts warn that It's deteriorating and at risk. "The seawall is one big continuous pieces of infrastructure, that's sitting on young bay mud but it's sitting on young bay mud, and squishy soils and in an earthquake, it may likely move bay ward. The other risk, of course, is sea level rise," said Elaine Forbes, executive director of the Port of San Francisco. The Embarcadero already gets flooded during king tides. Global warming is projected to cause sea levels around the bay to rise between three and six feet, perhaps even more, by the end of the century. "We need to fortify our seawall and our line of defense," said Forbes. One line of defense would be to boost the bay's biodiversity. Climate and marine scientists explain how the more species living in the bay, the more resilient and healthier the waters will be, as the planet continues to warm. As for the tiles, early results show they do indeed promote biodiversity and support native species. From Olympia oysters to seaweed and crabs, scientists have detected 10 different native species living on the tiles.
Business Wire
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Mark Cuban Doubles Down, Kind Designs Closes Seed 1 Round Led by Overlay Capital at $30M Valuation
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kind Designs, the Miami-based startup 3D-Printing the World's first Living Seawalls™, announced the closing of its Seed 1 funding round, led by Overlay Capital with participation from strategic investors across construction, government, and infrastructure sectors. Kind Designs raised $5M at a $30M valuation, with Mark Cuban doubling down on his initial investment. In 2024, Kind Designs raised $6.5M at a $18M valuation with its Seed round. "Investing in Kind Designs was an easy decision—they're tackling critical challenges with a forward-thinking approach and innovative technology," said 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." Since its launch and Seed Round in 2024, Kind Designs has scaled significantly—moving into a 50,000-square-foot facility in Miami, expanding its team to three robots and ten employees, and installing its first 3D-printed seawall in Miami Beach. Kind Designs has been printing back-to-back residential and commercial projects since, closing 2024 with $600K in revenue, expanding its product offering and winning its first 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. The company's leadership has actively engaged federal, state, and local officials to position its Living Seawalls as the gold standard for coastal infrastructure. These government wins have contributed to a growing $180 million pipeline of public-sector projects slated for 2025 and 2026. "At Overlay, we invest in the built environment, where technology adoption is historically slow," said 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." The company currently has a $10M residential project pipeline within South Florida and eight projects underway in New York City, marking a strategic expansion beyond Florida. Recent legislative wins and marine studies have further validated Kind Designs' approach, promoting biomimicry designs that enhance coastal ecosystems and are a win-win for businesses and homeowners. Data from the Living Seawall pilot installation supports the environmental impact: Florida International University researchers found over 1,000 oysters, mussels, sponges, algae, and eight fish species colonizing the first 100 linear feet of Kind Designs' seawall within nine months of deployment. "This round is about scale — scaling production, scaling impact, and scaling coastal resiliency at a time when it's needed most," comments Kind Designs Founder & CEO Anya Freeman. Kind Design's innovative products have been recognized by Fast Company (Most Innovative Companies, World Changing Ideas), Edison Awards, Critical Infrastructure (Silver Winner), and San Francisco Business Journal (Startup of the Year). For more information or to inquire about commercial or residential seawall projects, visit About Kind Designs Kind Designs is a climate-tech and construction-tech startup that's addressing rising sea-levels by revolutionizing the failing, traditionally toxic seawall construction industry. Through its use of sustainable materials, and patent-pending 3D printing technology, Kind Designs is producing the world's first 3D-printed Living Seawalls™ and Living Seawall Tiles. The products protect coastal communities from floods and storm surges, while creating marine habitats, dissipating waves and improving the quality of water. For more information on Kind Designs and to get an estimate for your seawall project, visit
