Early stage climate tech VC firm Anthropocene Ventures also joins Kind Designs’ seed round.
Rapidly growing climate and construction tech startup Kind Designs gained the support of entrepreneur Mark Cuban and VC firm Anthropocene Ventures for its $5 million seed round. Just founded in June 2023 by Anya Freeman, the funding is being used to support Kind Designs’ rapid scale up of production capacity. The startup’s leadership also plan to bring on new hires who will handle the rising demand for its Living Seawalls™.
“Having investors with a global reach, like Mark Cuban and Anthro Ventures on our team is a huge vote of confidence in our mission to regenerate marine ecosystems and protect coastal communities,” says Freeman, a woman entrepreneur taking on a construction tech startup. “With their strategic backing, we are positioned to propel Kind Designs into a massive global business, while simultaneously making an immense environmental impact. Together, we’re putting economical and environmentally beneficial coastal resilience on the map.”
Founding entrepreneur has unique background to start a company
Freeman is an attorney turned entrepreneur—which is also somewhat novel. Born in Ukraine she has lived in Israel, China and South Africa, before settling in Miami to attend law school. Launching her own practice gave her a taste of being an entrepreneur. Her passion about addressing the impact of rising sea levels led her to a tech solution and to build a team who will take on the challenge with equal passion.
Freeman has positioned Kind Designs to be on the front line of protecting the coastlines of major cities such as Miami, New York, and San Francisco. It is estimated that local and federal government agencies will spend nearly $400B in seawall construction. This has presented a great opportunity to Kind Designs. The company is producing the world’s first 3D-printed Living Seawalls that serve as artificial reefs. Without intervention, the United States could be on track to destroy over 50,000 miles of marine habitat by 20401
“The investment decision was swift and resolute,” comments Anthropocene Ventures’ Managing Partner, Matthew McGraw. “Kind Designs surpasses our criteria with its immediate real-world application, clear business model, path to revenue, and the merging of nature’s smarts through biomimicry with 3D printing technology. Yet, what truly solidified our commitment is the performance of the founder, Anya. In a brief span, she has demonstrated exceptional execution.”
The construction startup is Growing and Contributing to Miami’s Growing Ecosystem
Over the past few months, the Miami Beach-based startup has made major strides with the hiring of its tenth full-time employee and the opening of its warehouse enabling first deliveries to be made in November and most importantly, generating revenue. This is just the beginning—as the company anticipates a tripling of production capacity by February 2024. Their efforts are being bolstered by the purchase of two additional printing robots.
Kind Designs’ early success is another boost to Miami’s growing ecosystem. The startup’s local job creation includes Leandro Fernandez as Lead Structural Engineer and Jeremy Morris as Chief Operating Officer. Morris previously held roles at Elon Musk’s The Boring Company and Icon.
Having secured funding, Kind Designs has momentum to work with government agencies that are able to offer Living Seawall tax incentives on the county, state and federal levels. This program follows similar programs associated with solar energy and EV tax credits.
Finding a Prominent Investor can have a major impact on a Startup
Being a female-founder of climate and construction tech startup is an ambitious undertaking. However, capturing the support of Mark Cuban at the very outset is a significant accomplishment. It bodes well for Freeman to be able to handle the challenges that come with a rapidly scaling business.
Kind Designs’ Living Seawalls are already presenting multiple wins for the founder and recent investors. The product is merging the structural integrity of traditional seawalls with a sustainable design. That combination supports marine life and presents coastal communities with a more cost-effective solution to the impact of rising seal levels.
