Innomost
Innomost is a Helsinki-based biotech startup that upcycles Finnish birch bark into sustainable ingredients for cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturers, operating at pre-commercial scale with a pilot plant funded by a €5M 2021 round led by Metsä Spring.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Innomost does
Innomost is a Helsinki, Finland-based private biotechnology startup founded in 2016 that develops ingredients for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries by upcycling birch bark, an ethically sourced forestry byproduct. The company's core technology is a proprietary process for converting birch bark into high-value compounds used as inputs in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations, operating at the intersection of materials science, sustainable chemistry, and circular economy principles.
The business model is B2B ingredient sales to two identified vertical segments: cosmetics (primary) and pharmaceuticals (secondary). End customers are manufacturers and formulators seeking sustainable, natural active ingredients, with the company's core value proposition positioned around replacing synthetic or virgin-plant-sourced inputs with upcycled alternatives. Revenue is described as one-time license / ingredient sales, though pricing and contract structures are not publicly disclosed. No distribution channels, marketing channels, or named customer accounts are available in the disclosed data.
Innomost remains an early-stage company. It raised €5 million in August 2021 in a round led by Metsä Spring (the corporate venture arm of Finnish forestry group Metsä), with Innovestor also participating. Use of funds is explicitly directed at establishing a pilot plant and expanding R&D — the company is therefore in a pre-commercial-to-early-commercial scaling phase, with headcount of 1–10 employees and no disclosed revenue. Leadership comprises founder Sami Selkälä and CEO Tiina Bensky.
Innomost firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innomost
- Website
- https://innomost.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Innomost is a Helsinki-based biotech startup that upcycles Finnish birch bark into sustainable ingredients for cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturers, operating at pre-commercial scale with a pilot plant funded by a €5M 2021 round led by Metsä Spring.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Innomost industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bio-based Cosmetic Ingredients
- NAICS
- Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)
- SIC
- Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bark, Fibers & Thatching Materials Collection (Cork, Bamboo, Rattan, Palm) (AFAMAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wood Chipping, Residue Processing & Biomass Feedstock (IMAMABAG)
Keywords
Where Innomost is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Innomost business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel
Revenue model
- Ingredient Sales: Revenue generated from selling upcycled birch bark ingredients to cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturers
Innomost product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innomost upcycles Finnish birch bark waste into natural, sustainably produced ingredients that it sells to cosmetics and personal care manufacturers, and is extending the same platform toward pharmaceutical applications. The company operates a proprietary birch bark processing technology and is currently scaling production through a pilot plant funded by Metsä Spring and Innovestor.
Product overview
Innomost is a biotechnology startup focused on upcycling birch bark into ingredients and materials for use in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The company operates at the intersection of materials science and sustainable chemistry, developing proprietary processes to extract and transform birch bark components into high-value compounds. The company is in an early-stage phase, having recently secured €5 million in funding to establish a pilot plant and expand its R&D capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Upcycled birch bark ingredients for cosmetics
- Upcycled birch bark ingredients for pharmaceuticals
Companies that use Innomost
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Innomost technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Innomost partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Innomost competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BASF Care Creations: BASF's personal care division supplies a vast range of cosmetic actives and is a likely benchmark competitor in the natural-ingredients space where Innomost is positioning.
- Symrise: Global leader in cosmetic ingredients and fragrance; supplies a broad portfolio of natural and synthetic actives to the same cosmetics customers Innomost targets, representing both competition and a potential acquirer/distribution partner.
- Evonik: Specialty chemicals company with a significant personal care and cosmetics ingredients business; competes in the natural actives space and has the resources to acquire or replicate niche ingredient technologies.
- Croda International: Major specialty ingredient supplier to personal care and pharma with a strong natural-ingredients portfolio — a direct incumbent against which Innomost must differentiate on sustainability and birch-origin story.
- Givaudan: Global fragrances and beauty ingredients leader; supplies actives to cosmetics customers overlapping with Innomost's target segment and represents both competitive pressure and a potential exit/acquirer.
- UPM Biochemicals: Finnish forestry-major's biochemicals division that develops bio-based ingredients from wood — similar Finnish origin, similar feedstock philosophy, and a credible competitor in forest-derived specialty chemicals.
- Clariant: Specialty chemicals company with a personal care ingredients segment; competes broadly in natural cosmetic actives and offers scale and formulation expertise Innomost currently lacks.
Direct peers
- Repolar Pharmaceuticals: Repolar (formerly M/B-Tech) is a Finnish company that extracts betulin and other birch bark-derived compounds for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications — almost identical business model and feedstock as Innomost.
- Borregaard: Norwegian biorefinery that converts wood-based biomass into specialty chemicals (lignin biopolymers, vanillin, cellulose) for industrial and personal-care markets — directly comparable wood-to-specialty-chemicals business model.
- Aromtech: Finnish company producing specialty oils and bioactive ingredients from arctic botanicals (including birch) for cosmetics and nutraceuticals — same Finnish origin, similar upcycled-natural-ingredient positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Innomost social profiles
Digital presenceInnomost financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innomost leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Innomost funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Innomost 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 Innomost
What does Innomost do?
Innomost upcycles Finnish birch bark waste into natural, sustainably produced ingredients that it sells to cosmetics and personal care manufacturers, and is extending the same platform toward pharmaceutical applications. The company operates a proprietary birch bark processing technology and is currently scaling production through a pilot plant funded by Metsä Spring and Innovestor.
Is Innomost a public or private company?
Innomost is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Innomost founded?
Innomost was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Innomost based?
Innomost is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Innomost make money?
One revenue line is on record: ingredient Sales.
Who are Innomost's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BASF Care Creations, Symrise, Evonik, Croda International, Givaudan, UPM Biochemicals and Clariant. Direct peers are Repolar Pharmaceuticals, Borregaard and Aromtech.
Does Innomost have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innomost.
What industry is Innomost in?
Innomost's product category is Bio-based Cosmetic Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMAFAI, Bark, Fibers & Thatching Materials Collection (Cork, Bamboo, Rattan, Palm), with a secondary code of IMAMABAG, Wood Chipping, Residue Processing & Biomass Feedstock. Its NAICS code is 113210 and its SIC code is 2833.