What Boreal Bioproducts does

Boreal Bioproducts is a Finnish biorefinery company founded in 2018 (originally as Montinutra) that develops and produces bio-based materials from forestry side streams such as spruce sawdust and bark. The company operates a pilot plant in Turku, with its head office in Espoo, and is preparing for commercial-scale production through a planned biorefinery at Metsä Group's Vilppula sawmill targeted for 2027-2029.

The company's core technology is Pressurized Hot Water Extraction (PHWE), a water-based, chemical-free fractionation process that separates woody feedstocks into hemicellulose, lignin, and lignocellulose components while recovering energy and water back into the process. Its proprietary SOLV™ method, developed by R&D Manager Dr. Alexander Henn, allows lignin to be dispersed in water without sacrificing UV-blocking and antioxidant properties. The product portfolio centers on five ingredient families under the Spruce™ brand (SpruceSugar™, SpruceLigno™ with standard, Soft, and SOLV grades, SpruceFiber™, SpruceMix™/SpruceGlue™, SpruceTannin™, and SpruceGuard™) plus the LigNoFog® consumer anti-fog product. SpruceSugar™ is COSMOS-approved for cosmetics and won the 2024 in-cosmetics global Green Ingredient Gold Award; SpruceTannin™ reports a cradle-to-gate footprint around 200 kg CO2e per tonne, 70-80% below conventional fossil or crop-based leather tanning routes.

Boreal Bioproducts sells primarily through B2B enterprise sales to chemical, cosmetics, adhesives, coatings, leather processing, and animal health industries, with a secondary direct-to-consumer channel via the LigNoFog® anti-fog product sold through select sports retailers and online shops. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is likely quote-based for bulk industrial volumes. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the only named commercial customer in the data is Finnish personal care brand Ole Hyvä Luonnontuote, while Metsä Spring (Metsä Group's corporate venture unit) is both the lead pre-A investor and the host for the planned Vilppula commercial biorefinery, and CMPC Ventures is a strategic partner for South American expansion. The company has raised €2M in pre-A funding and targets €100M in annual revenue by 2035.

Name

Boreal Bioproducts

Legal name

Boreal Bioproducts

Website

https://borealbioproducts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Boreal Bioproducts is a Finnish biorefinery startup that uses pressurized hot water extraction to convert forestry side streams into bio-based ingredients (polysaccharides, lignin, tannins, fibers) for cosmetics, adhesives, coatings, leather, and animal health customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bio-based Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing (3161), Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins (325991)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Biochemicals & Bio-based Platform Chemicals (cellulose sugars, lignin derivatives, organic acids) (IMAMALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lignin-based Materials & Carbon Products (binders, resins, carbon fiber/activated carbon) (IMAMALAE), Biorefinery Technology & Contract Processing (fractionation, tolling, scale-up) (IMAMALAL)

Keywords

• Bio-based materials
• Lignin extracts
• Forest biorefining
• Bio-based adhesives
• Natural cosmetic ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bio-based Material Sales: Sale of bio-based ingredients and materials derived from forest industry side streams to industrial customers in cosmetics, chemicals, adhesives, coatings, leather processing, and animal health industries.
2. Consumer Products: Direct-to-consumer product sales through retail and e-commerce channels. LigNoFog® anti-fog coating sold in limited batches through sports and swimming gear retailers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Boreal Bioproducts develops and sells bio-based ingredients—polysaccharides, lignins, specialty fibers, tannins and phenolic oligosaccharides—extracted from certified spruce sawdust and bark forestry side streams via its proprietary Pressurized Hot Water Extraction (PHWE) and SOLV™ technology platforms. The ingredient portfolio (SpruceSugar™, SpruceLigno™, SpruceFiber™, SpruceMix™, SpruceGlue™, SpruceTannin™, SpruceGuard™) serves industrial customers in cosmetics, adhesives, coatings, leather processing and animal health, replacing fossil-derived materials with biodegradable alternatives. The company also markets LigNoFog®, a 100% bio-based lignin anti-fog coating for swim goggles and diving masks, as its first consumer-facing demonstration product.

Product overview

Boreal Bioproducts is a Finnish biorefinery startup that transforms forest industry side-streams into high-value bio-based materials. The company operates a pilot-scale facility using PHWE (Pressurized Hot Water Extraction) technology and is preparing for commercial-scale production. The product portfolio centers on five core ingredient lines derived from spruce: SpruceSugar™ (polysaccharides), SpruceLigno™ (lignins), SpruceFiber™ (specialty fibers), SpruceMix™/SpruceGlue™ (phenolic oligosaccharides), and SpruceTannin™ (tannin-rich polyphenols). These materials serve diverse industries including cosmetics, coatings, adhesives/binders, leather processing, and animal health. The company also launched LigNoFog®, its first consumer product featuring lignin-based anti-fog coating for sports gear. All products are natural, vegan, non-GMO, and biodegradable, designed to replace fossil-based alternatives with a significantly lower carbon footprint.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LigNoFog®: World's first commercialized lignin-based hydrophilic surface treatment, designed to keep swim goggles and diving masks clear. Powered by SOLV™ technology.
• SpruceSugar™
• SpruceLigno™
• SpruceLigno™ Soft
• SpruceTannin™
• SpruceFiber™
• SpruceMix™
• SpruceGlue™
• SpruceGuard™

Products and services

• SpruceSugar™ Multifunctional polysaccharide ingredient derived from spruce wood processing side streams via the PHWE platform. COSMOS-approved for cosmetics use, with applications in skin and hair care (film forming, natural color, SPF-boosting, dispersant, co-emulsifying, anti-aging, antioxidant), barrier coatings, emulsion polymerizations, adhesives and animal health prebiotics. Won the 2024 Green Ingredient Gold Award at in-cosmetics global.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 footprint of 150 kg CO2e/ton compared to 5,600 kg CO2e/ton for conventional chemicals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

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.

• CMPC VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2024Cooperation agreement to exploit CMPC's woody side-streams using Boreal Bioproducts' PHWE technology platform. Objectives include producing novel carbohydrate and phenolic compounds and developing sustainable applications to substitute fossil ingredients. Enables technology scaling to new geographies and feedstocks beyond Nordic regions.
• Metsä GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting partner for planned commercial biorefinery at Metsä Group's sawmill in Vilppula, Finland, targeted for 2027. Metsä Group provides infrastructure and access to forest industry side streams.
• Ole Hyvä LuonnontuoteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish personal care product company that launched products containing Boreal Bioproducts' SpruceSugar™ ingredient in 2023.
• ExpandfibreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of ecosystem of organizations working on sustainable fiber and biomaterial solutions.
• Plug and PlayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation platform connecting startups with corporate partners for technology acceleration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• MetGen: Industrial biotech company producing bio-based enzymes and specialty chemicals for pulp, paper, biofuels, and coatings. Direct peer developing bio-based industrial ingredients from biomass, targeting similar B2B industrial customers.
• Borregaard: Norway-based global leader in specialty lignin (lignosulfonate) products and bio-based additives for coatings, adhesives, agriculture, and animal feed. Most direct incumbent peer competing in the same specialty lignin/bio-based chemical markets that Boreal targets with SpruceLigno™.
• Renmatix: US-based bio-based chemicals company using a water-based (supercritical hydrolysis) extraction process analogous to Boreal's PHWE to convert non-food biomass into sugars and lignin derivatives for cosmetics, flavors, and industrial applications.

Broad incumbents

• Stora Enso: Major Nordic pulp and paper company with growing biorefinery operations producing lignin-based materials (Lineo™) and biomaterials from forest residues. Broader incumbent peer leveraging established forestry supply chains.
• UPM Biochemicals: Finnish biorefinery arm of UPM producing bio-based platform chemicals (glycols, lignin-based products, renewable functional fillers) from forest biomass. Closest large-scale incumbent peer in Finland using similar feedstocks to produce bio-based industrial chemicals.
• Sappi Biotech: Global pulp and paper group operating a commercial-scale biorefinery producing lignin-rich co-products (e.g., Symrise partnership on bioactive ingredients) and other biochemicals from wood. Broad incumbent peer with established lignin extraction from existing pulping assets.

Emerging players

• Sweetwater Energy: US-based company developing biomass fractionation processes to convert non-food biomass into cellulosic sugars and lignin for bio-based products. Emerging player pursuing similar water-based fractionation technology for industrial biochemicals.
• Bloom Biorenewables: Swiss startup developing high-performance bio-based platform chemicals and polymers from biomass, including lignin-based alternatives for cosmetics and materials. Comparable early-stage European player focused on sustainable biochemicals from lignocellulosic feedstocks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/borealbioproducts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Boreal Bioproducts