Coastruction
Coastruction (Shaper and Maker B.V.) is a Rotterdam-based marine technology company that designs, 3D-prints, and installs custom artificial reef structures for governments, marine conservation organizations, and offshore infrastructure clients using its proprietary Asterix powder bed printing platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersRotterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Coastruction does
Coastruction (legally Shaper and Maker B.V.) is a Rotterdam-based marine technology company founded in 2021 that designs, produces, and installs 3D-printed artificial reef structures. Its core product, the Purpose-Built Reef (PBR), is built using a proprietary powder bed 3D printing process in which a custom 1-cubic-meter printer — the Asterix — selectively deposits water onto a dry cement-and-aggregate powder bed to build structures layer by layer without support material. The technology accepts a wide range of inputs including Portland and limestone cements, beach sand, seabed sediment, dredged materials, and recycled concrete, and the unbound powder is recycled into subsequent prints, yielding a zero-waste production loop. Modules weighing 20-85 kg can be combined into structures up to 1.7 tonnes; documented field outcomes include a 250% biodiversity increase measured via eDNA testing at Oostvoornse Lake within four months of installation and less than 1% erosion after 13 months in the Maas River.
The company operates a project-based B2B business model, delivering custom reef design, manufacturing, and installation engagements to governments, municipalities, port authorities, marine conservation organizations, research institutions, and offshore infrastructure operators. Pricing is custom-quoted per project with multi-year contract structures; revenue is supplemented by competitive subsidies and grants (notably a €81,883 CityLab010 award in November 2022). The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct partnerships — including TU Delft, Deltares, University of Derby, the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, the Municipality of Rotterdam, and TouchWind — and on-site deployment of the Asterix printer to reduce transport emissions. The team is small (1-10 employees), founder-led by Nadia Fani, with senior advisory from artificial reef expert David Lennon and biomimicry specialist Carlos Rego; the company is privately held with no disclosed equity funding to date.
Coastruction firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coastruction
- Legal name
- Shaper and Maker B.V.
- Website
- https://coastruction.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Coastruction (Shaper and Maker B.V.) is a Rotterdam-based marine technology company that designs, 3D-prints, and installs custom artificial reef structures for governments, marine conservation organizations, and offshore infrastructure clients using its proprietary Asterix powder bed printing platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coastruction industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Construction and Coastal Protection
- SIC
- Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick (3272)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Breakwaters, Seawalls & Coastal Defense Structures (IMAFAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Port & Harbor Construction (Quays, Wharves, Berths) (IMAFAJAA), Revetments, Groynes & Beach Nourishment (IMAFAJAD)
Keywords
Where Coastruction is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rotterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coastruction business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom artificial reef projects: Project-based revenue from designing, producing, and installing 3D-printed Purpose-Built Reefs for clients including governments, municipalities, and marine organizations. Projects are custom-designed for specific deployment sites and marine ecosystems.
- Research and grant funding: Secured subsidies such as CityLab010's €81,883 for Reefs 'R Us project. Funding supports printer development and community-focused reef projects.
- Eco-anchor solutions: Providing ecological anchor solutions for floating infrastructure such as wind turbines (e.g., TouchWind eco-anchor project).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Coastruction product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coastruction designs, produces, and installs 3D-printed Purpose-Built Reefs (PBRs) for marine ecosystem restoration and coastal protection. Using proprietary powder bed 3D printing technology with the custom-built Asterix printer, the company fabricates site-specific reef structures from cement-like and recycled materials. Offerings span custom reef design, large-format 3D printing, deployment, installation, and post-installation monitoring for government, research, conservation, and offshore energy clients.
Product overview
Coastruction is a technology company specializing in 3D-printed artificial reef solutions. The core product is the Purpose-Built Reef (PBR) system, which combines the proprietary Asterix powder bed 3D printer with sustainable natural and recycled materials to produce modular reef structures designed for specific marine ecosystems. The offering spans from custom reef design and manufacturing to installation and monitoring services. Key products include the Asterix 3D Printer (1-cubic-meter powder bed system), various PBR deployments (Goby Reef, Reefs 'R Us), and AI-powered design capabilities developed with Studio Tim Fu. The company also provides Eco-Anchor solutions for maritime infrastructure and conducts research projects like CREST for coastal protection validation. All products share the common technology platform of powder bed 3D printing with cement-like materials, enabling geometrically complex organic shapes with zero-waste production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Purpose-Built Reefs (PBR)
Quantifiable outcome
- Erosion resistance of less than 1% after 13 months of deployment in Maas River
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Coastruction
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Coastruction technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Coastruction partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TU DelftcoreCollaboration on CREST project involving large-scale wave flume testing of PBR structures at Deltares. Graduate students (Marion Tissier, Vincent Takens, Danai Chronopoulou, Cecile Hagen, Florine Speth, Geert Schouten) contribute to research on hydrodynamic stability, biofilm formation, and wave attenuation.
- DeltarescoreWave flume testing facility for coastal protection research. Coastruction's PBRs tested at 1:3 scale in the 300-meter-long Delta Flume to determine effectiveness in breaking high waves and mitigating coastal flooding.
- FieldLab Green Economy WestvoornecorePilot location for eco-anchor project with TouchWind. FieldLab provided barge, expertise, and testing location for Goby Reef deployment in Oostvoornse Lake.
- CityLab010 (Municipality of Rotterdam)coreCityLab010 awarded Coastruction €81,883 subsidy to build the Asterix printer and fund the Reefs 'R Us project. This partnership enabled the development of Coastruction's first large-format 3D printer and community engagement in Rotterdam.
- Division of Aquatic Resources (Hawaii)coreDutch-Hawaiian collaboration evaluating 3D-printed coral larval settlement substrates. After one year, transplanted larvae showed remarkable growth rates on Coastruction's structures.
- University of PlymouthminorResearch partner in the ARISE project focused on coastal processes and island protection.
- BoskalisminorPartner in ARISE project for coastal protection research.
- TouchWindcoreCollaboration on eco-anchor solutions for floating wind turbines. Coastruction's 3D-printed structures attached to TouchWind turbine anchors created thriving marine habitats.
- Rotterdam Diving AssociationminorLocal divers assist with reef installation and Goby Reef added to official diving route. Divers conduct monitoring and mapping of installed structures.
- GimarisminorConducts environmental DNA (eDNA) testing to identify species colonizing artificial reef structures, measuring biodiversity impact.
- University of Derby (Coral Spawning Lab)coreDr. Michael Sweet leads research to ensure constant supply of coral larvae for settlement on artificial reef structures. Partnership leverages Coral Spawning Lab expertise.
- Urban ReefcoreCollaborated on Reefs 'R Us project design, transforming student clay models into functional reef structures for Persoonshaven installation.
- Clear RiversminorProvided timelapse documentation for Reefs 'R Us project.
- Van OordminorMarine engineering company that helped with installation of reef structures in Persoonshaven.
- MeilinkminorInternational transport company specializing in packaging and shipping reef modules. Ensured secure fitting of PBR modules into crates for overseas shipment.
- OSG Hugo de GrootminorRotterdam school where Coastruction hosted workshop for students to design clay models of artificial reefs. Selected designs were printed at 5x scale for Persoonshaven installation.
- David LennoncoreArtificial reef design and market expert with 25+ years of experience. Founded 4 artificial reef companies, designed and patented reef unit designs. First used particle bed printer for reef units in 2012. Provides expertise in innovation and reef design.
- Carlos RegocoreExternal expert in design and biomimicry thinking. Ensures adoption of nature-driven methodologies in research, development, and implementation. Internationally recognized with major design awards.
- WSHD (Water Authority)minorLocal water authority that provided support for navigating permitting process for Goby Reef installation in Oostvoornse Lake.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coastruction competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Van Oord: Large Dutch marine engineering contractor (partner of Coastruction for Persoonshaven installation). Comparable end markets (coastal protection, marine infrastructure) with vastly greater capital and scale.
- Boskalis: Major Dutch marine contractor (partner of Coastruction via ARISE project) with global dredging, coastal protection, and offshore infrastructure capabilities. Represents both collaboration partner and potential competitive incumbent as nature-based solutions scale.
- Jan De Nul: Belgian marine and civil engineering contractor with significant coastal defense and offshore wind capabilities. Comparable end markets and potential to develop or acquire competing nature-based solutions capability.
- DEME Group: Belgian marine contractor with global offshore, dredging, and coastal defense operations. Overlapping customer base (governments, port authorities) and ability to scale nature-based coastal protection solutions at large scale.
Direct peers
- ARC Marine: UK-based company producing artificial reef cubes (Reef Cubes) for marine biodiversity restoration. Directly comparable product offering (modular reef units) and customer base (marine developers, ports, conservation groups).
- SECORE International: Non-profit focused on coral reef restoration using 3D-printed ceramic substrates. Closest direct peer to Coastruction in terms of technology approach (additive manufacturing for reef restoration) and mission (active reef rehabilitation).
- Reef Design Lab: Australian design studio specializing in 3D-printed artificial reef structures for marine habitat creation. Comparable to Coastruction in using generative design and additive manufacturing for biodiversity-enhancing reef units.
- Global Coral Reef Alliance (Biorock): Promotes Biorock mineral accretion technology for coral reef restoration and artificial reef growth. Comparable mission (active reef restoration using engineering) and customer overlap in marine conservation and island nations.
- ECOncrete: Israeli company producing bio-enhancing concrete solutions for marine and coastal infrastructure. Closely comparable in targeting coastal and marine construction with ecologically engineered concrete products.
Emerging players
- Living Seawalls: Australian initiative developing design-based habitat enhancements for existing seawalls and marine infrastructure. Comparable mission (biodiversity enhancement of marine structures) with focus on retrofit rather than new reef construction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Coastruction social profiles
Digital presenceCoastruction financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coastruction leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Coastruction funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coastruction M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coastruction
What does Coastruction do?
Coastruction designs, produces, and installs 3D-printed Purpose-Built Reefs (PBRs) for marine ecosystem restoration and coastal protection. Using proprietary powder bed 3D printing technology with the custom-built Asterix printer, the company fabricates site-specific reef structures from cement-like and recycled materials. Offerings span custom reef design, large-format 3D printing, deployment, installation, and post-installation monitoring for government, research, conservation, and offshore energy clients.
Is Coastruction a public or private company?
Coastruction is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Coastruction founded?
Coastruction was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Coastruction based?
Coastruction is headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Coastruction make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom artificial reef projects are the primary driver. The others are research and grant funding and eco-anchor solutions.
Who are Coastruction's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Van Oord, Boskalis, Jan De Nul and DEME Group. Direct peers are ARC Marine, SECORE International, Reef Design Lab, Global Coral Reef Alliance (Biorock) and ECOncrete. Living Seawalls is listed as an emerging player.
Does Coastruction have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coastruction.
What industry is Coastruction in?
Coastruction's product category is Marine Construction and Coastal Protection. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAJAC, Breakwaters, Seawalls & Coastal Defense Structures, with a secondary code of IMAFAJAA, Port & Harbor Construction (Quays, Wharves, Berths). Its SIC code is 3272.