mifbi

What mifbi does

Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute (MIFBI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, founded in 2013 as an initiative driven by Michigan Technological University and formally incorporated as an independent nonprofit in 2016. The organization operates as a convening body across industry, academia, government, and nonprofit sectors to catalyze innovation and market development for forest biomaterials, with explicit focus areas in Circular Bioeconomy, Lignin valorization, Mass Timber construction, and Wood Residuals utilization. MIFBI does not develop proprietary technology products; its core technology is a stakeholder convening platform supported by working groups, an interactive StoryMap, and a Wild Apricot-based membership directory. Customers and constituents include forest industry mills and manufacturers, chemical and packaging companies utilizing wood residuals, technology innovators seeking commercialization pathways, state agencies (Michigan DNR, MDARD), and academic research institutions.

MIFBI generates revenue through four streams: tiered annual membership subscriptions (Student/Retiree at $35, Individual at $75, For-Profit under 50 employees at $250, Academia/Government/NGO at $500, For-Profit over 100 employees at $750, all prorated), event registration fees ($15 to $450 depending on tier and summit), corporate and organizational sponsorships, and tax-deductible charitable donations. The organization runs a portfolio of recurring events including the Green Gold Wood Residuals Summit, Michigan Forest Bioeconomy Conference, Michigan Mass Timber Summit, Kraft Lignin Forum, and the Wood Residuals Innovation Series webinar program. Distribution is achieved through its website (mifbi.org), email/newsletter, PR/earned media, the membership program, and a mix of in-person and virtual attendance options, with international reach via partnerships in Finland (Natural Resources Institute Finland / Luke, FinnZone, Business Finland) and Maine under a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding.

Leadership comprises a volunteer board of directors drawn from state agencies (Michigan DNR, MDARD), conservation nonprofits (The Nature Conservancy), academia (Michigan Technological University, Kendall College of Art and Design), and corporate alumni (Ford Motor Company), with the Board Chair being Julie Manley, Principal of Guiding Green LLC. No paid executive director or headcount figures are publicly disclosed in the source material. Notable member-company outcomes include Boreal Bioproducts' Green Ingredient Gold Award at in-cosmetics Global 2024 for its SpruceSugar ingredient, and event attendance milestones of approximately 100 at the 2025 Wood Residuals Summit and over 200 multinational participants in the 2023 Lignin Production & Application webinar.

Name

mifbi

Legal name

Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute

Website

https://mifbi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute (MIFBI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition that convenes industry, academia, government, and nonprofit stakeholders to advance forest biomaterials innovation in Michigan's bioeconomy through membership programs, summits, and cross-sector collaboration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Bioeconomy Coalition Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biorefinery Technology & Contract Processing (fractionation, tolling, scale-up) (IMAMALAL), Biomass Pellets, Briquettes & Solid Bioenergy Products (industrial/residential) (IMAMALAJ), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Forest bioeconomy collaboration
• Biomaterials research
• Circular bioeconomy
• Mass timber construction
• Wood residuals utilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions with tiered pricing based on organization type (Academia/Government/NGO, For-Profit by size, Individual, Student/Retiree). Provides access to membership directory, event discounts, professional volunteer opportunities, and recognition on website.
2. Event Registration: Conference and summit registration fees including the annual Wood Residuals Summit and various workshops. Ticket pricing varies by attendance type (in-person vs virtual, early vs regular rates).
3. Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsorships for events and programs, providing visibility and recognition benefits.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MIFBI convenes stakeholders across industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to catalyze innovation and the use of forest biomaterials for a healthy economy and environment. It delivers this mission through tiered membership programs, annual conferences and summits, ongoing webinar series, mill tours, working groups on Circular Bioeconomy, Lignin, Mass Timber, and Wood Residuals, and an online member directory for member-to-member interaction.

Product overview

MIFBI (Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition that convenes stakeholders across industry, academia, government, and nonprofit organizations to catalyze innovation and use of materials from forests for a healthy economy and environment. Rather than offering commercial software products, MIFBI provides membership-based collaboration, organizes conferences and summits (such as the Green Gold: Wood Residuals Summit), facilitates working groups on topics including Circular Bioeconomy, Lignin, Mass Timber, and Wood Residuals, and offers a membership directory and event registration services. The organization does not develop or sell proprietary products but serves as a convener and incubator for forest bioeconomy collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MIFBI Membership Program
• Green Gold: Wood Residuals Summit
• Michigan Forest Bioeconomy Conference
• Michigan Mass Timber Summit
• Kraft Lignin Forum
• MIFBI Wood Residuals Innovation Series
• Tour & Connect Networking Events
• MIFBI Member Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 attendees from multinational webinar on lignin commercialization
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• Michigan Technological UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Michigan Technological University drove the MIFBI initiative from its inception in 2013 and continues as a key academic partner. David Flaspohler, Dean and professor in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at MTU, serves on the MIFBI Board.
• Michigan Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner and event co-host. Matt Watkeys serves as MIFBI Secretary and Forest Marketing and Utilization Specialist at DNR. DNR co-hosted the Wood Residuals Summit and 2020 Michigan Mass Timber Summit.
• Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner with Benjamin Schram serving as MIFBI Vice Chair. MDARD supports forest industry development and wood residual utilization programs.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental nonprofit partner with Rich Bowman serving as MIFBI Treasurer and Director of Policy for Michigan Chapter. Supported creation of MIFBI's interactive StoryMap.
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner under the Memorandum of Understanding between Michigan, Maine, and Finland to advance the forest bioeconomy. John Kettle, Katariina Kemppainen, and other Luke researchers regularly present at MIFBI events.
• FinnZone / Business FinlandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for Michigan-Finland Summit on Forest Biomaterials (2018). FinnZone founders Patrick Visser and Kevin Manninen facilitate cross-border collaboration.
• MassTimber@MSUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan State University program focused on mass timber research and development. MIFBI initiated collaboration with MassTimber@MSU in 2020.
• NextCycle MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established in 2026 for circular economy initiatives. Collaborating on Special Accelerator for Wood Chip Reuse, Recycling and Upcycling with DTE Energy.
• AJD Forest ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSawmill operation included in 2025 Wood Residuals Summit tour, demonstrating wood residual challenges and opportunities in Michigan.
• Grayling Generating Station (NorthStar Clean Energy)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBiomass renewable energy generation plant included in 2025 Wood Residuals Summit tour.
• WeyerhaeuserminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorForest products company with OSB production included in 2025 summit tour. Sponsored Wood Residuals Tour and presented at events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA): Trade association for the hardwood lumber industry, providing grading standards, inspection services, and industry events. Comparable as a Michigan-relevant forest-products convening organization with member services, training, and events — overlapping with MIFBI's hardwood and wood residuals constituency.
• American Wood Council: Trade association representing North American wood product manufacturers, providing engineering data, standards, and advocacy. Comparable in representing forest-products industry interests and convening across structural wood, mass timber, and engineered wood categories that overlap with MIFBI's focus areas.
• WoodWorks (Wood Products Council): Nonprofit educational organization that promotes wood, including mass timber, in commercial and residential building design. Directly comparable as a forest-product-focused nonprofit that convenes designers, builders, and policymakers — overlapping heavily with MIFBI's Mass Timber focus.
• Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC): Cross-border organization promoting softwood lumber use in US and Canadian markets through market development and education. Comparable as a forest-products convening organization running events, education, and stakeholder engagement — though with a US-Canada rather than Michigan-Finland cross-border focus.
• U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities: Public nonprofit working at the intersection of forests, communities, and markets, funding collaborative projects across the forest sector. Comparable as a forest-focused nonprofit that convenes funders, communities, and industry around sustainable forest-economy initiatives parallel to MIFBI's work.
• Forest Products Society: International nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the science and technology of forest products. Comparable as a membership-based convening organization for forest product research, technical knowledge exchange, and industry-academia networking — parallel to MIFBI's convening role across lignin, wood residuals, and biomaterials.
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI): Nonprofit that sets standards and convenes stakeholders for sustainable forest management across North America. Comparable as a forest-sector nonprofit combining standards, certification, and stakeholder convening — with overlapping constituency of forest landowners, industry, and conservation groups.
• American Forest Foundation: National nonprofit focused on keeping America's forests healthy and productive, convening landowners, industry, and conservation partners. Comparable in mission, multi-sector convening model, and reliance on cross-stakeholder coalitions — though with a national rather than state scope.
• Forest Landowners Association: National nonprofit organization representing private forest landowners on policy, markets, and sustainable management. Comparable in convening private landowners, industry, and government stakeholders around forest products and bioeconomy issues.
• National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO): Trade association representing private forest owners on policy and sustainability issues. Comparable as a forest-sector convening and advocacy organization, with overlapping membership base of forest industry, landowners, and corporate sponsors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mifbi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 mifbi