Espoo-based biomaterials deeptech Nordic Bioproducts Group has secured a strategic minority investment from Japan’s Oji Holdings Corporation, strengthening its path to global scale as it commercialises its patented AaltoCell™ cellulose platform. Backed by the investment, which gives Oji a 20% stake, Nordic Bioproducts Group will accelerate industrial development of high-value, low-impact cellulose materials—starting with pharmaceutical-grade microcrystalline cellulose—while expanding production, process optimisation, and international market readiness from its Finnish base. Originating from research at Aalto University, the company is positioning AaltoCell™ as a deployable platform technology that allows existing forest biomass and industrial assets to generate significantly higher value, supporting the forest industry’s transition beyond traditional pulp and paper.
Nordic Bioproducts Group is a biomaterials company founded in 2019, focused on the development and industrialisation of cellulose-based materials. The company’s patented AaltoCell™ processing platform is designed to convert forest biomass into refined cellulose products, including microcrystalline cellulose, for use in regulated and performance-sensitive sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food, and personal care. Nordic Bioproducts Group operates a commercial-scale, EXCiPACT®-certified production facility in Lappeenranta, Finland, supporting continuous processing, product qualification, and process development, and positions its technology within the broader shift of the forest industry toward higher-value applications of existing biomass and industrial infrastructure.
“This partnership is about creating new value from renewable forest resources,” said Olli Kähkönen, CEO and co-founder of Nordic Bioproducts Group. “With AaltoCell™, the same forest biomass that used to go mainly into paper can also become high-margin cellulose ingredients for pharma and other demanding applications, and we can do it with a significantly lighter environmental footprint.”
The global forest industry is undergoing a structural transition as demand for traditional paper products declines and pressure increases to develop higher-value, sustainable alternatives from existing biomass and industrial assets. At the same time, manufacturers across regulated and performance-critical sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics, are demanding materials that combine verified sustainability with industrial reliability.
The cooperation between Oji and Nordic Bioproducts Group will initially focus on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), where demand is growing rapidly across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food, and personal care products. The global MCC market is valued at USD 1.33 billion, and demand is projected to double by 2035, supported by increasing regulatory scrutiny, rising quality requirements, and growing focus on sustainable products and production methods.
Nordic Bioproducts Group’s AaltoCell™ technology was developed to address this need. Independent life-cycle assessment indicates substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, and chemical inputs compared to conventional MCC production methods. At the same time, AaltoCell™ delivers the high quality and purity required for pharmaceutical applications.
Beyond MCC as the first commercial application, both companies view AaltoCell™ as a broader platform technology. The same process principles can be applied over time to produce other cellulose-derived materials, enabling multi-product manufacturing models where existing forest biomass and industrial assets are used to generate significantly higher value alongside conventional pulp and paper – a practical step toward more integrated biorefinery 3.0 models.
“We see strong potential in technologies that enable existing forest resources and industrial sites to produce higher-value materials in a more sustainable way,” said Hiroyuki Isono, CEO at Oji Holdings. “Nordic Bioproducts Group’s AaltoCell™ technology and Finnish production base provide a credible platform for this development, supporting our vision to move towards more sustainable products made from forest-based biomass. We are pleased to support its industrial scale-up.”
Translating advanced research into industrial reality has been a core focus for Nordic Bioproducts Group. Founded on research originating from Aalto University, the company established a commercial-scale production facility in Lappeenranta, Finland, in 2024. The facility is designed for continuous processing and advanced process development, with an initial focus on high-quality microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) for demanding applications such as pharmaceutical excipients. The site holds EXCiPACT® certification, confirming compliance with stringent quality and manufacturing standards.
While AaltoCell™ is designed as a platform technology for international deployment, Finland plays a central role in its industrial development and European supply. Forest-based products remain a cornerstone of the Finnish economy, with forest industry exports valued at approximately €12 billion in 2024 and accounting for a significant share of Finland’s total goods exports. As traditional paper markets mature, future competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to convert the same forest biomass into more advanced, higher-value materials.
By building next-generation cellulose production and process development in Finland, Nordic Bioproducts Group demonstrates how Finnish forest-based innovation can move up the value chain while remaining closely connected to existing industrial infrastructure. Within the partnership with Oji, Finland serves as a key development and production base for AaltoCell™, while the technology itself is designed to be deployable in regions worldwide as global demand for sustainable, high-value cellulose materials continues to grow.
“This partnership marks an important milestone for Nordic Bioproducts Group,” Kähkönen added. “With Oji as a long-term partner and minority shareholder, we can strengthen our industrial capabilities, accelerate development of specialty next-generation cellulose materials, and bring AaltoCell™ technology to global markets from a strong base in Finland.”
Click to read more funding news.
Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/nordic-bioproducts-group-gets-investment-from-oji/
