All Episodes EPISODE 2 Energy & Environment • 55:25 • 26 Mar 2026

Concrete That Works With the Ocean, Not Against It

with Dr. Ido Sella

Co-founder & CEO of ECOncrete

Coming Soon

This episode will be available soon.

Hosted by

Daniel Epstein

CEO, Unreasonable Group

About This Episode

In this episode, Daniel Epstein sits down with Dr. Ido Sella, co-founder and CEO of ECOncrete. Ido is a marine biologist who discovered, largely by accident, that small changes to concrete composition could make marine infrastructure support biodiversity instead of destroying it. His company has deployed projects across 50+ coastlines in 30+ countries, delivering 7x more carbon sequestration than standard concrete infrastructure. But the conversation goes far deeper than the technology. Ido shares the story of losing his co-founder, Dr. Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, in 2021, one month before closing their Series A. He talks about the decision to carry the company forward in her name, how every single investor said the same thing without coordinating, and the line that now guides his leadership: "It's not a crisis until someone is dying." The episode also features one of the best founder stories you'll hear, closing a funding round from a makeshift chair on a desert hilltop in Israel's Negev, listening to Leonard Cohen, waiting for emails to ping through a Bluetooth speaker.

Featured Guest

Dr. Ido Sella

Co-founder & CEO of ECOncrete

Dr. Ido Sella is a marine biologist and the co-founder and CEO of ECOncrete, a company that has changed how marine infrastructure interacts with ocean ecosystems. Co-founded in 2012 with Dr. Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, ECOncrete has deployed its technology across 50+ projects in more than 30 countries and 10 seas, producing 7x more carbon sequestration than standard concrete. The company was recognized by Time Magazine in 2019 as one of the top 100 inventions in the world. Ido joined the Unreasonable Fellowship through the Unreasonable Impact program, run in partnership with Barclays.

Key Takeaways

ECOncrete's technology makes marine concrete support local biodiversity instead of invasive species. It's not artificial reef, it's fixing the infrastructure itself. Their motto: "If you build it, build it right."

Standard concrete gives wrong signals to marine larvae. ECOncrete tweaks the composition so native species can settle and grow. The discovery came from noticing one sea wall section behaving differently on an underwater survey.

Infrastructure treated with ECOncrete produces 7x more carbon sequestration per square foot than standard marine concrete. The biology that grows on it also protects the structure from chloride penetration, extending its lifespan.

Ido lost his co-founder Shimrit in 2021, one month before their Series A close. Every investor, without coordinating, said the same thing: "If you're going forward, we're investing."

The company operates in 10 seas, 30+ countries, with 50+ projects, all with a team of just 40 people. Ido believes they've changed more underwater surface area than all university artificial reef programs combined.

Barclays committed immediately after Shimrit's passing and stayed through every round. They helped land the Tottenville project in Staten Island, where oysters are returning for the first time in decades.

Full Transcript

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