Hiil Ltd.

What Hiil Ltd. does

Hiil Ltd. (Hiil Oy) is a Finnish manufacturer of sustainable charred wood surfaces, founded in January 2023 in Kontiolahti, North Karelia, by brothers Miikka Kotilainen (CEO) and Joona Kotilainen. The company operates a proprietary surface-charring process that ignites wood and sustains combustion at over 1,000°C using the wood's own energy, finishing each panel with pure linseed oil. Raw materials are sourced exclusively as industrial side streams from sawmills and construction waste under the Kiertopuu®/CircuWood™ brand, converting material that would otherwise be incinerated into a billable, low-carbon input.

The product portfolio is the Hetki Collection — six surface finishes (Hiili, Kelo, Noki, Kaarna, Kuura, Korppi) plus a charred decking board — applied to PEFC-certified pine panels and profiles for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna surfaces, decking, fences, and outdoor furniture. Production carries PEFC Chain of Custody certification, CE marking, and a documented carbon footprint of 0.112 kg CO2e/kg, roughly half that of virgin timber. The process is fully fossil-free (83% hydro, 17% solar electricity) with closed-loop water recirculation at ~4 L/hour.

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware-channel sales (K-Rauta with over 120 stores in Finland, plus independent dealers and four Woodstoxx locations in Belgium), direct B2B sales to architects and large projects via a sample-box program, and specification into hospitality, wellness, fitness, public-sector sauna, and OEM sauna manufacturing segments. The company raised approximately €1.5M in private capital in October 2024 alongside EU Just Transition Fund grants in 2023 and 2025, and is bringing a new factory online in spring 2025 with a tenfold production capacity increase to support Nordic and international expansion.

Name

Hiil Ltd.

Legal name

Hiil Oy

Website

https://hiil.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charred Wood Building Materials

NAICS

Wood Preservation (321114), Other Wood Product Manufacturing (3219)

SIC

Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400)

akta.pro primary industry

Treated Wood & Preserved Timber Products (IMADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineered Wood Product Distribution & Fabrication Services (IMAMACAO)

Keywords

• Charred wood products
• Wood cladding materials
• Sustainable building materials
• Shou sugi ban
• Circular wood sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kontiolahti

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charred wood product sales: Sale of charred wood panels, boards, and profiles for exterior cladding, interior paneling, saunas, and decking applications. Products sold through hardware stores (K-Rauta), independent dealers, and direct B2B sales.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hiil manufactures and sells charred wood surface materials (the Hetki Collection) for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna surfaces, decking, fences, and outdoor furniture. Products are made from CircuWood (Kiertopuu®) — industrial wood side streams from sawmills and construction — using a proprietary self-powered charring process at over 1000°C finished with pure linseed oil. Distribution covers K-Rauta retail (120+ Finland stores), independent dealers, Woodstoxx in Belgium, and direct B2B sales to architects and commercial projects.

Product overview

Hiil is a Finnish company specializing in charred wood (表面炭化木/Shou Sugi Ban/Yakisugi) manufacturing. The product portfolio consists of the Hetki Collection of surface finishes applied to wood panels and boards: Hiili (black classic), Kelo (weathered brown-grey), Noki (deep burnt brown), Kaarna (warm brown), Kuura (light natural), and Korppi (blue-tinted, interior only). Products are manufactured from pine wood using the proprietary CircuWood (Kiertopuu) process, which transforms sawmill and construction industry side-stream wood into durable, aesthetically distinctive charred surfaces finished with pure linseed oil. The products serve exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna surfaces, decking, and outdoor furniture applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kiertopuu®: Hiil's brand name for products made from industrial wood side streams and otherwise wasted wood, transformed into technically sound, visually striking and durable cladding products through charring
• CircuWood™

Products and services

• Hiili Hiili is Hiil's classic black, strong-textured charred wood finish fire-molded at over 1000°C with a deeply grained surface symbolizing transformation and durability. Available as tongue-and-groove panel or straight plank. Used for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna cladding, and fencing applications by builders, architects, and DIY consumers.
• Kelo Kelo is a brown-grey charred wood finish evoking the calm tones of weathered kelopuu (dead standing wood) and northern wilderness aesthetics. Available as tongue-and-groove panel or straight plank. Suitable for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna surfaces, sauna benches, decking, fences, and outdoor furniture.
• Noki Noki is a deep, dark burnt-brown charred wood shade evoking the power and austerity of northern nature. Available as tongue-and-groove panel or straight plank. Used for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna cladding and benches, decking, fences, and outdoor furniture.
• Kaarna Kaarna is a warm-brown charred wood finish reflecting the rough surface texture and hues of forest heartwood. Available as tongue-and-groove panel or straight plank. Used for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna cladding and benches, decking, fences, and outdoor furniture.
• Kuura Kuura is a light, natural charred wood shade, the lightest finish in the Hetki collection. Available as tongue-and-groove panel or straight plank. Suitable for exterior cladding, interior paneling, sauna surfaces, fences, and outdoor furniture.
• Korppi Korppi combines the roughness of a charred surface with a glossy blue tint. Made from PEFC-certified CircuWood pine. Interior use only — for paneling and sauna surfaces. Features a color-shifting aesthetic from black to blue.
• Hiiletty terassilauta (Charred Decking Board) Charred terrace/decking board offering a low-maintenance, durable, and aesthetic black, brown, or grey decking solution without biocides or synthetic surface treatments. Used for residential and commercial deck installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 0.112 kg CO₂e/kg carbon footprint for CircuWood products vs 0.201 kg CO₂e/kg for virgin timber
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• K-Rauta (Kesko)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst in the Nordics: Kiertopuu products available nationwide through K-Rauta's online store and over 120 physical stores. First major retail distribution channel for charred wood products.
• Rakentajan Sarokas OycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurku-based dealer bringing charred wood products to Southwest Finland and archipelago regions. Partnership announced April 2025 for coastal building projects.
• PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEFC Chain of Custody certification for wood sourcing. Hiil is a PEFC-certified operator using wood from PEFC-certified sources.
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted weather exposure testing on Hiil charred wood products. Published test results March 2025 showing durability under UV and precipitation stress.
• Karelia University of Applied SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for carbon footprint analysis. Study by Kainulainen (2025) compared fossil emissions of Hiil products using different raw materials.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Delta Millworks: US specialty millwork producer of burnt/charred shou sugi ban cladding, flooring and paneling for architectural projects. Directly comparable to Hiil in product category, target customers (architects/specifiers), and sales-led GTM.
• Kebony AS: Norwegian producer of furfurylated modified wood for outdoor cladding, decking and sauna applications. Comparable to Hiil as a Nordic-based modified-wood brand selling durable, non-biocide wood surfaces through architectural and dealer channels.
• Nakamoto Forestry Co., Ltd. Japan-based pioneer of yakisugi (shou sugi ban) charred wood cladding with decades of industrial-scale production. Directly comparable to Hiil as the longest-established producer of fire-treated wood surfaces for architectural cladding and interior use.
• Lunawood: Finnish manufacturer of thermally modified wood (ThermoWood) for exterior cladding, interior paneling, saunas and decking. Direct regional peer to Hiil operating from Finland with overlapping product applications, channels, and target customers.
• Thermory AS: Estonian manufacturer of thermally modified (heat-treated) wood for cladding, decking and saunas. Closely comparable to Hiil as a Europe-based producer of non-chemically modified, high-durability exterior/interior wood surfaces sold through dealer networks.

Broad incumbents

• Stora Enso: Major Finnish/Swedish forest-products group with wood-product and cladding lines serving European construction markets. Comparable to Hiil as a large-scale Finnish/Nordic wood-products incumbent with overlapping end markets in building materials.
• Accsys Technologies (Accoya): UK/Netherlands-listed producer of acetylated Accoya wood for high-durability outdoor and architectural applications. Comparable to Hiil as a modified-wood platform pursuing the same specification-led architectural channels, but at materially greater scale and capital depth.
• Metsä Wood (Metsä Group): Finnish forest-industry group producing sawn timber, engineered wood products and further-processed wood components for construction. Comparable to Hiil as a large domestic Finnish wood-products player serving the same construction and architectural end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hiilmaterials
• Facebookfacebook.com/hiilmaterials

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hiil Ltd.