Nature Investment

Name

Nature Investment

Legal name

Natuurinvest

Website

https://www.natuurinvest.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Management Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Property Managers (531312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private) (AFAMAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland Leasing & Contract Administration (Hunting, Grazing, Recreation) (AFAMAKAD), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Nature management services
• Forest management
• Real estate concessions
• Professional training
• Location rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Concessions: Revenue from concessions for real estate and grasslands in nature domains managed by Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos. Private entrepreneurs and organizations can obtain rights to use buildings and land for sustainable business activities.
2. Event and Location Rental: Revenue from renting natural locations for film, photo, sports, events, and meetings. Pricing varies by event type, duration, and commercial/non-commercial status.
3. Wood Sales: Annual public wood sales from sustainably managed forests in Flanders and Brussels. Includes standing wood sales, lying wood sales, and the annual Vlaams Houtpark quality wood sale in February.
4. Training and Education: Revenue from Inverde training center providing courses and certifications in forest, green, and nature management for nature professionals.
5. Ground Concessions: Fees for agreements to perform works on land belonging to Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, including underground and above-ground infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Natuurinvest operates as the own equity of the Flemish government's Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, functioning as a service provider that facilitates sustainable entrepreneurship within Flemish nature domains. The company manages concessions for real estate, grasslands, and infrastructure on government-owned nature lands; rents out 22 nature locations for film, photo, sport, and event use; conducts annual public wood sales from sustainably managed forests; and delivers training/certification programs through its Inverde training center.

Product overview

Natuurinvest functions as the endowment of the Agency for Nature and Bos (ANB), operating as a service provider that facilitates sustainable entrepreneurship in nature across Flanders. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services organized around three pillars: Ondernemen (Entrepreneurship), Kennisdelen (Knowledge Sharing), and Natuurprojecten (Nature Projects). Core offerings include Inverde (official training center), Ecopedia (knowledge platform), Tuinrangers (free garden advice program), and various nature location rental services (film, photography, sports, events, meetings). Additional specialized services encompass real estate concessions, wood sales, and ground concessions for infrastructure on ANB lands. Nature projects include LIFE B4B, Natuur-inbouw, LIFE Green Valleys, GrassCo, and ECoST, each addressing specific environmental challenges through research, training, and practical implementation. Revenue from commercial activities is reinvested into nature projects across Flanders, creating a sustainable cycle of nature investment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Inverde: Training center for forest, green and nature management professionals, offering certification programs and courses in collaboration with the Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos.
• Ecopedia
• GrassCo

Products and services

• Inverde Training Center The official training center of the Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, providing courses and certifications in forest, green, and nature management. Market leader in Flanders for training and certification in forestry and nature management.
• Ecopedia

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000 garden visits conducted with 93% of participants taking action afterwards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland Natuur-inbouwcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023€5.53M EU-funded project (Sept 2023-Sept 2026) creating possibilities for birds, bats, bees and plants in buildings. Natuurinvest provides training through Inverde for nature-inclusive building advisors.
• LIFE Belgium for Biodiversity (LIFE B4B)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202314 partners working on protecting and restoring biodiversity in Belgium. Natuurinvest is responsible for developing learning concepts and knowledge sharing around Natura 2000 and biodiversity. Project runs 2023-2031 with €36.3M budget.
• European Consulting Standards in Tree Work (ECoST)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Erasmus+ funded project (Feb 2022-Feb 2025) involving 9 European countries developing three European standards for arboricultural advice: assessment, valuation, and tree protection.
• GrassCominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Public-private enterprise founded in 2021 pioneering grass refining technology that processes wet grass cuttings into fibers and sap for bio-based raw materials.
• Process Oriented Nature Conservation (PONC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Erasmus+ project (Dec 2020-July 2023) on process-oriented nature conservation for wilder, cheaper and more robust nature management. Natuurinvest served as coordinator.
• Forests For HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Erasmus+ project (Sept 2020-Aug 2023) developing training for forests-for-health professionals bridging health and forestry sectors. Inverde contributed to training standards development.
• European Forestry and Environmental Skills Council (EFESC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2009European organization establishing certification standards for forestry and environmental skills. Natuurinvest and Inverde helped establish these standards, with Inverde serving as the national agency for EFESC in Belgium.
• Agentschap voor Natuur en BosflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatuurinvest is the own equity of the Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, operating as its service provider for over 30 years. All revenues from nature services are reinvested in nature projects under this partnership.
• NatuurpuntcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlemish nature organization partnering in projects like LIFE Green Valleys and Smeetshof for nature management and biodiversity facilitation in nature domains.
• Provincie West-VlaanderencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owner of Zwin Natuur Park with Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos. Invested in modern ecotourism experience center opened in 2016.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)minorOthersInternational forest certification organization. About 55% of wood lots offered at sales are FSC-certified, guaranteeing wood from sustainably managed forests.
• Various Belgian Examination CentersminorOthers6 examination centers in Belgium recognized for EFESC certifications: Inverde, Skilliant, Le Forem, PCLT, CG-Conseil, and 4ESTRY.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Staatsbosbeheer: Dutch government agency that manages public forest and nature areas in the Netherlands. Closest structural analog: government-owned entity commercializing nature assets, operating recreation, and managing concessions on state land adjacent to Natuurinvest's Flemish footprint.
• Office National des Forêts (ONF): French national forest office managing public forests with a government-mandated service provider role similar to Natuurinvest. Comparable in combining sustainable forest management, wood sales, public access and training functions.
• Metsähallitus: Finnish state-owned enterprise managing state forests and protected areas. Parallels Natuurinvest in operating as a commercial arm of the government for forestry, recreation, and nature conservation services.
• Forestry England: English government agency managing public forests and providing recreation, education, and timber services. Closely comparable business model as a government forestry service provider with multiple revenue streams from forest assets.
• Natuurpunt: Flemish nature conservation organization and existing Natuurinvest partner with overlapping mission in nature management and biodiversity in Flanders. Directly comparable as a Belgian nature-domain operator.
• Österreichische Bundesforste: Austrian federal forest management enterprise, wholly owned by the Republic of Austria. Closely matches Natuurinvest's structure as a government-owned entity commercializing state forest assets, including timber sales and recreation.

Emerging players

• Natuurmonumenten: Dutch nature conservation NGO managing nature areas with educational and recreational programming. Comparable in mission but operates on privately/conservation-held rather than state land; useful benchmark for nature experience monetization.

Regional players

• Scottish Forestry: Scottish government agency managing the national forest estate. Structural peer operating outside Natuurinvest's geography but with a similar government service provider mandate for forest assets.
• Landesforsten Rheinland-Pfalz: German state forest agency managing public forest and nature areas in Rhineland-Palatinate. Comparable role managing state forest assets, timber sales and recreation in a different European region.

Broad incumbents

• Naturvårdsverket: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency — broader governmental environmental mandate than Natuurinvest but overlapping in administering environmental quality programs and policy on state nature areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natuurinvest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Nature Investment