What Novarbo does

Novarbo Oy is a Finnish professional greenhouse technology and growing-substrate company headquartered in Eura and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Biolan Group. The company develops and manufactures three product pillars: (1) greenhouse climate-control technology, including the LTO-järjestelmä heat-recovery system, the Heat Reuse droplet-curtain climate management system, and a turnkey Vertical Farming / kerrosviljely concept controlled by the proprietary Growisor software; (2) growing substrates spanning the flagship compostable Mosswool® sphagnum-moss growing slab, the Mossgrow sphagnum-enriched mixes, the Kasvuturve peat-grade series, and specialty mixes such as Paperpot, Kevytruukutusmulta, Amppelimulta, and Kylvöseos; and (3) organic fertilizers comprising the Arvo granulated line (broiler-manure-based), the Aino liquid line, and the distributed Viano turf/horticulture range. The underlying technology rests on patented production processes licensed from VTT and Luke, in-house patents for vertical-farming climate solutions, and a vertically integrated raw-material supply via sister company EcoMoss Oy and the Biolan Group's €7M+ biocellulose plant.

Novarbo makes money primarily through B2B direct sales of substrates and fertilizers in pallet-to-bulk-bag units (50 l bags, 1.5 m³ big bags, 4 m³ bales) and project-based turnkey delivery of LTO and Vertical Farming installations including design, equipment, and training. The go-to-market is sales-led, with a domestic sales director and key account managers, own personnel in five foreign countries, and export distribution to nearly 60 countries; reseller channels serve amateur gardeners in Finland. Pricing is quote-based across the standard portfolio, with historical trade-show promotional prices (e.g., €8 per 25 kg Arvo bag, €139 per 650 kg big bag in 2018) indicating unit-pricing economics in the tens to low hundreds of euros per bag. Customer segments are professional greenhouse growers (cucumber, tomato, lettuce, herbs, ornamentals), sports-turf and green-area operators, agricultural field-crop farms, and education/research institutions.

Quantifiable customer outcomes include 50-80% of annual greenhouse heating covered by Novarbo heat-recovery systems at installed sites, recovery of up to 7,000+ MWh/year at a single customer (Puutarha Timo Juntti), and 7% higher cucumber yield with Mosswool vs rockwool in Luke (Natural Resources Institute Finland) trials. The European addressable market for sphagnum-moss-based growing slabs replacing rockwool is estimated at over €2 billion with 6-7% annual growth, and Novarbo's RHP certification (Jan 2024) of akrotelm and wood fiber positions it to address Dutch, Spanish, and Italian greenhouse markets. The company is privately held, with no external venture investors disclosed, and operates with 11-50 employees at the Biolan Group level.

Name

Novarbo

Legal name

Novarbo Oy

Website

https://novarbo.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novarbo Oy is a Finnish subsidiary of Biolan Group that develops sphagnum-moss-based growing substrates (Mosswool®, Mossgrow), greenhouse heat-recovery and vertical-farming climate technology, and organic fertilizers (Arvo, Aino) for professional greenhouse growers, field-crop farms, and turf operators, exporting to nearly 60 countries with its own personnel in five.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Greenhouse Cultivation Inputs

NAICS

Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing (325311), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), Agricultural Chemicals (2870), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC), Potted Flowering Plants & Bedding Plants Production (Annuals, Perennials, Plugs) (AFAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Greenhouse climate control
• Growing substrates
• Organic fertilizers
• Vertical farming systems
• Heat recovery systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Eura

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Growing substrates (kasvualustat): Sale of growing substrates including Mossgrow product family with sphagnum moss, peat-based substrates (Kasvuturve series), Mosswool growing slabs, and various specialty mixes for vegetables, herbs, berries, ornamentals, and forestry seedlings.
2. Organic fertilizers (Arvo and Aino series): Sale of organic Arvo granulated fertilizers (broiler manure-based) and Aino liquid fertilizers for organic and conventional cultivation, plus Viano organic-mineral turf fertilizers.
3. Greenhouse technology systems (LTO and Heat Reuse): Project-based sales of greenhouse heat recovery and climate control systems, scalable from small to large greenhouses. Delivered as turnkey installations.
4. Vertical Farming (kerrosviljely) turnkey solutions: Turnkey vertical farming container and facility solutions including design, equipment installation, and training. Includes both standard and custom-built configurations for research, education, and commercial production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Novarbo manufactures and sells professional horticultural inputs and greenhouse technology systems. Its offering comprises sphagnum-moss-based and peat-based growing substrates (notably the compostable Mosswool® slab and the Mossgrow family), organic granulated and liquid fertilizers (Arvo and Aino lines), and greenhouse climate-control hardware including the LTO heat-recovery system, the Heat Reuse droplet-curtain system, and turnkey Vertical Farming installations run on the proprietary Growisor software. Customers are professional greenhouse growers, nurseries, field-crop farmers, sports-turf operators and educational institutions in Finland and across nearly 60 export markets.

Product overview

Novarbo's offering is a multi-line portfolio organized around three pillars: (1) Greenhouse Technology (Kasvihuoneteknologia), comprising the LTO-järjestelmä heat-recovery system, the Heat Reuse droplet-curtain climate-management system, and the Vertical Farming / Kerrosviljely concept controlled by the proprietary Growisor software; (2) Growing Substrates (Kasvualustat), spanning the flagship compostable Mosswool® growing slab, the sphagnum-moss-based Mossgrow family, the Novarbo Kasvuturve (growing peat) grades, and specialty mixes such as Kevytruukutusmulta, Amppelimulta, Paperpot-mix and Kylvöseos; and (3) Organic Fertilizers (Lannoitteet), covering the granulated Arvo line, the liquid Aino line and the distributed Viano turf/horticulture fertilizers, supplemented by ancillary products such as MossKade and Novarbo Kasvuallas. Novarbo (part of the Finnish Biolan Group) targets professional greenhouse growers, nurseries, and field-crop farmers with peat-reducing, renewable raw-material-based inputs and energy-saving climate technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mosswool®: Sphagnum-moss-based compostable growing slab for greenhouse tomato and cucumber cultivation, positioned as a renewable alternative to stone wool.
• Mossgrow
• Arvo
• Aino
• Viano
• Heat Reuse™
• LTO-järjestelmä (LTO system)
• Growisor
• Novarbo Green
• MossKade

Products and services

• Novarbo LTO-järjestelmä (Heat Recovery System) Scalable greenhouse heat-recovery system that captures excess heat and moisture via rooftop convector units and industrial-scale heat pumps, stores heat in a thermal accumulator and reuses it for night heating or district heating. Reduces ventilation, preserves elevated CO₂ levels and recovers condensate as clean irrigation water; connectable to existing greenhouse automation.
• Novarbo Heat Reuse Greenhouse climate-management system combining a droplet-curtain (pisaraverho) heat exchanger with an outdoor buffer tank and a 500–750 kW heat pump. Demonstrated to recover up to 7,000 MWh/year and cover 50–80% of annual heat demand at customer sites; reduces heating cost, enables CO₂ enrichment and improves summer cooling.
• Novarbo Vertical Farming / Kerrosviljely (with Growisor control software) Turnkey multi-layer / vertical-farming concept including LED lighting, automated irrigation/fertilization, dehumidification, CO₂ dosing and the proprietary Growisor software for full automation and remote monitoring. Delivered in both large installations and a movable container format.
• Novarbo Mosswool® growing slab Compostable growing slab made primarily from renewable Finnish sphagnum moss (with optional wood fiber and peat) designed as a biodegradable replacement for rockwool slabs in greenhouse tomato and cucumber cultivation. Luke trials reported ~7% higher cucumber yield than rockwool. Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2020 finalist; EU Horizon 2020-funded (€2.44M).
• Novarbo Mossgrow product family Family of professional growing substrates incorporating live sphagnum moss for improved air porosity, water retention and natural antiseptic properties suppressing harmful fungi (e.g., Alternaria). Includes blends for vegetables/herbs, berries, salads, hanging baskets, ornamentals, paper-pot filling, seedlings and organic peat mixes.
• Novarbo Kasvuturve (growing peat) series Range of screened, fertilized and limed Sphagnum peat substrates offered in multiple grades (CC1, C1, B2, B2L, A2, AA2, B1F for forest seedlings, plus BC2 Organic with composted broiler manure) suited for professional horticultural and vegetable production.
• Novarbo Kevytruukutusmulta (Light potting mixes) Air-filled light potting mixes including fiber-compost variants designed for weak-rooted plants; available in standard, coarse, acidic, with-perlite and acidic+coarse variants to suit different crops and irrigation regimes.
• Novarbo Arvo organic fertilizers Granulated, organic-certified fertilizer line for organic and conventional field and garden cultivation, made primarily from composted broiler manure with potassium sulfate and blood meal. Includes formulations such as Arvo 4-1-3-1, 4-1-6-2, 8-1-5-2, 3-1-7-3, 3-1-10-4, 3-1-15-5 and 13-0-8-3, plus Patenttikali and Kaliumsulfaatti supplements; developed with Luke and HKScan contract farms.
• Novarbo Aino liquid organic fertilizers Liquid organic fertilizers and plant-care products for supplemental fertilization, including Aino 3-0-3, Aino 1-0-3, Aino 5-0-0 and Aino Merileväuute (seaweed extract for improved frost tolerance and nutrient uptake). Suitable for vegetables, gardens and greenhouses.
• Viano turf and horticulture fertilizers (distributed by Novarbo) Organic-mineral fertilizer range distributed by Novarbo for green-area use, including the Mixprof line (vegetables, berries, nursery crops) and the Turfprof line (turf areas such as golf courses and sports fields), with formulations containing wetting agents for dry-stress management.
• MossKade surface treatment agent Organic surface-treatment agent for preventing the spread of algae and liverwort (maksasammal) on surfaces.
• Novarbo Kasvuallas planting container Ground-embedded planting container for cemeteries, green areas and home gardens; angular design supports a variety of planting layouts.
• Novarbo Kylvöseos sowing substrate Sowing substrate consisting of peat and sand fertilized with composted broiler manure, containing Bacillus beneficial microbes; targeted at seedling production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovered heat cost approximately one-third of average electricity price per MWh (heat pump COP ~3 producing 70°C water)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• EcoMoss Oy (Biolan Group sister company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcoMoss Oy, a Biolan Group company, harvests sphagnum moss using patented machinery that collects only the top portion of living moss while preserving the peatland ecosystem. The moss regenerates in 15-30 years, enabling Mosswool and Mossgrow substrate production. EcoMoss is the upstream raw material supplier within the Biolan Group ecosystem.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVTT co-developed with Luke (Natural Resources Institute Finland) the patented production technology for Mosswool growing slabs. Novarbo licenses and commercializes this technology for European greenhouse markets (targeting >€2 billion addressable market).
• Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke) - Natural Resources Institute FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed with VTT the patented Mosswool production technology. Conducted independent Piikkiö test greenhouse trials proving Mosswool delivers 7% higher cucumber yield vs rockwool. Also partner in Mosku project (2017-2019) developing organic fertilizers from agricultural side streams.
• HKScancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKScan (Finland's largest meat processor, owner of Kariniemi brand) collaborates with Biolan Group and Novarbo within HKScan's Agrofood Ecosystem® program to convert Kariniemi broiler chicken manure into Novarbo Arvo organic fertilizers. Field trials conducted on HKScan contract producer farms. HKScan target: carbon-neutral food production by end of 2040.
• Pyhäjärvi-instituuttiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and development institute focused on cultivation and food production development. Participated in design and analysis of new Arvo organic fertilizer field trials during 2019 growing season, collaborating with Biolan Group and Luke.
• Kauppapuutarhaliitto ry (Finnish Glasshouse Growers' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partner in research project with Luke to test alternative growing substrates for modern greenhouse cultivation; Novarbo grower-section demonstrations of Vertical Farming concept; collaboration on industry events like Lepaa trade fair.
• Jyväskylän koulutuskuntayhtymä GradiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer-partner for Novarbo's first vertical farming container designed for horticulture education. Container fully customized to Gradian's specifications for leaf vegetable cultivation with Growisor remote control, deployed across their two campuses.
• Kariniemen kananpoikien kasvattajat (broiler producers)coreOthers

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ICL Group: Israel-based specialty fertilizers and agro-solutions multinational with broad portfolios in greenhouse and field crop nutrition. Comparable as a large-scale fertilizer player; overlaps with Novarbo's organic Arvo/Aino lines on the professional horticulture customer side.

Direct peers

• Priva: Netherlands-based provider of climate, process, and water management systems for horticulture and building automation. Directly comparable to Novarbo's greenhouse climate/heat recovery (LTO, Heat Reuse) offerings for professional greenhouse operators.
• Cultilene: Netherlands-based substrate manufacturer (part of Saint-Gobain Cultilene/formerly Cultilene) producing rockwool and growing substrates for greenhouse cultivation. Direct competitor in tomato and cucumber growing slabs alongside Novarbo Mosswool.
• Grodan (ROCKWOOL Group): Netherlands-based manufacturer of rockwool growing substrates for high-tech greenhouse vegetable production. Direct substitute competitor to Novarbo's Mosswool® slabs in tomato and cucumber greenhouses; the incumbent Novarbo must displace for share gain in the European slab market.
• Ridder Group: Dutch supplier of greenhouse technology including climate screens, water management, and automation systems. Overlaps with Novarbo's climate control and vertical farming automation offerings for the European greenhouse and indoor-farming market.
• Klasmann-Deilmann: German-based producer of growing media (including peat, wood fiber, coir, and greenFibre substrates) for professional horticulture. Directly comparable substrate range targeting greenhouse vegetables, berries, and ornamentals across Europe.
• Jiffy Group: Norwegian-based producer of growing substrates, peat products, and propagation systems for professional horticulture worldwide. Comparable substrate portfolio, customer overlap in European vegetable and ornamental growers, and competing peat-free initiatives.
• Kekkilä-BVB: Helsinki-based (later Dutch-merged) professional growing media manufacturer serving greenhouse and nursery growers across Europe. Directly comparable as a peat-and-substrate specialist targeting the same professional horticulture customer base, including peat-reduction product lines that overlap with Novarbo's Mossgrow portfolio.

Emerging players

• Logiqs: Netherlands-based supplier of vertical farming and indoor cultivation systems, including multi-layer growing installations and automation. Comparable in the indoor vertical-farming equipment category that Novarbo addresses with its kerrosviljely/Growisor offering.
• Pelemix: Israel-based producer of coconut coir growing substrates for greenhouse and hydroponic cultivation. Emerging competitor in the peat/rockwool replacement space that targets similar greenhouse vegetable growers in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=wcnOtteO0Hc
• Facebookfacebook.com/novarbo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Novarbo