Register for SOSV NY Investor Showcase – March 11, 2026

ReefStarter

ReefStarter: an ecological breakwater system

Company details

Why is a nuclear engineer and a DARPA visionary teaming up with a hydrodynamic modeler to build … reefs? Because six beachfront resorts and $10 million of pilots in the pipeline are telling them that this is just a tiny fraction of the total $100 billion coastal defense market that nobody seems to have a solution for.

We didn’t fund this because reefs are cute–reefs are also one of the most resilient structures to reduce the wave energy coming on shore. In a world where 100-year storms are coming every few years, this is more urgent than ever. The customers aren’t just resorts and coastal residential communities, they’re governments, too. For example, Miami-Dade county alone spent over $340 million in the past decade on reversing the wave damage done to their beaches.

Our investment in ReefStarter was largely on their scalable, Lego-like solution, designed at the meters-scale, and detailed down to the millimeter-scale. They’ve already shown that they can reduce the wave energy, grow coral, and attract wildlife – incidentally, also very lucrative for the beachfront owners. The next round is to deliver their pilots and attract other customers who want to protect their beaches, too.

Targeting breakeven within 2 years

ReefStarter Quote Image
Bridget Baumgartner, Co-Founder & CEO
In ten years... our reefs will be protecting one thousand miles of at-risk, high value coastline around the world.

Team

Robert Weaver

CTO & Co-Founder

Get In Touch with ReefStarter

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and why you'd like to get connected. ReefStarter + SOSV will follow up with you via email.

Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden

No Offer, Solicitation, Advice, or Recommendation

Except to the extent expressly set forth in materials as may be provided through a password protected area on the SOSV website (the "Materials"), or as otherwise expressly specified by SOSV in writing, nothing on the SOSV website or on any platform or other communications medium owned, operated or otherwise by or on behalf of SOSV, is intended to constitute (i) an offer, or solicitation of an offer, to purchase or sell any security, other asset or service, (ii) investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, or (iii) a basis for making any investment decision. Except as expressly stated by SOSV in writing, neither the SOSV website or any platform or other communications medium owned, operated or otherwise by or on behalf of SOSV, nor any of the Materials make any effort to present a comprehensive or balanced description of SOSV or its investment activities. Please note the SOSV Communication Policy available here.