3D printing is
restoring coral reefs
in Abu Dhabi
Innovative startup Archireef has achieved the impossible – returning coral reefs to health with a 95% survivorship rate
We have pioneered a technology called reef tiles,” says Deniz Tekerek, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder of Archireef. “We use terracotta clay to 3D print these 50-centimeter, 12-13kg tiles and put them into the water to provide a home for corals.”
Coral covers less than 1% of the ocean floor, but provides a home for approximately 25% of all marine life. An estimated one billion people worldwide depend on coral reefs for food, income and coastal protection. But the world has lost 50% of its coral since 1950, and is projected to lose up to 90% in the next twenty years.
Attempts to conserve or restore reefs have had limited success – until now. After just three years, 95% of the coral has continued to survive, “which is more than four times higher than most traditional methods of restoration,” says Tekerek.
Archireef’s groundbreaking technology was proven in Hong Kong. But with a major expansion to Abu Dhabi, the company has the launchpad to revitalize coral worldwide.
World-first solution
Tekerek co-founded Archireef in 2020 with David Baker and Vriko Yu, who developed the reef tiles over eight years.
Yu says she felt compelled to act after witnessing the disintegration of a coral community in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, due to numerous external stresses including pollution. Initial attempts using concrete foundations failed. The reef tiles were developed to create a better root system for the coral.
“Terracotta clay is extremely conducive to coral growth and coral attraction,” says Tekerek. The tiles are algorithmically adapted to the local environment.
The company uses satellite imagery to map the area, accounting for substrate availability, environmental challenges, and tides. Divers can then install up to 40-50 square meters at a time, seeding the tiles with coral fragments.
Tekerek says fish populations are immediately attracted. It takes two to three months for coral to start growing, but “after about a year, there’s a real coral colony growing there.”
Having achieved this world-first success in Hong Kong, “We recently deployed our first set or reef tiles here in Abu Dhabi,” says Tekerek. “And in the process, we saved 1,200 coral fragments.”
CCO and co-founder of Archireef
CCO and co-founder of Archireef
Expanding to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi was a natural choice for expansion, as the emirate shares ecological similarities with what the team had previously experienced. But Tekerek says the emirate also offered a business environment that makes it “very attractive to a number of international companies.”
He cites the infrastructure available for establishing a state-of-the-art facility, a strong network of like-minded companies, and a “strong appetite for environmental solutions” from both public and private organizations.
For example, Archireef works with AD Ports, which operates Abu Dhabi’s major shipping terminals. And it works with hospitality and tourism businesses to create new coral reefs, which can create new revenue streams as diving sites.
This alignment of economics and environment is how the company plans to expand its impact. It’s an approach that has had strong support from Abu Dhabi’s wider startup ecosystem.
CCO and co-founder of Archireef
CCO and co-founder of Archireef
Abu Dhabi’s startup ecosystem
Archireef has had strong, “hands-on” support from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, says Tekerek, even “helping us with logistics during our deployment and giving us insights to their vast knowledge of local marine ecosystems.
ADQ – one of the region’s largest holding companies – has recently invested in Archireef, also becoming its first customer in the emirate. ADQ has a range of funds dedicated to early-stage technology companies, recently announcing it will support over 1,000 startups by 2025.
Tekerek also highlights the importance of Abu Dhabi's leading accelerator Hub71 which enabled Archireef to “really dig into the corporate landscape of Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general… it’s been incredibly beneficial for us.”
Hub71 is a ‘global tech ecosystem’ offering everything from physical workspaces to support and guidance in establishing a business in the emirate – including introductions to potential partners, clients, and investors. Hub71’s community of over 200 startups has raised a combined $1.2 billion since it was established in 2019.
This ecosystem has proven so nurturing, Archireef now has double the employees in Abu Dhabi it does in Hong Kong, and is considering moving its operational headquarters to the emirate.
Building the coral highway
Archireef has big plans for the future. “We’re looking at things like a coral highway,” says Tekerek, “these very large homes for coral reefs to grow on.”
Abu Dhabi is the perfect launchpad. Projects like this, “need a bit of creativity and the willingness for people to push,” says Tekerek. “We find that more in Abu Dhabi than we have elsewhere.”
And as the emirate prepares to host the COP28 climate summit, “everything is accelerating in this space,” says Tekerek. “COP28 will genuinely be a strong sort of propellor, an accelerator for what’s to come next.”
CCO and co-founder of Archireef
CCO and co-founder of Archireef
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