Aalto's next-generation processor

The growth company, which focuses on biomaterials, began its operations with research at Aalto University.

“The university wanted to start a company that could help commercialize innovations and obtain financing. Nordic Bioproducts Group was founded in 2019. That's how it started,” says the CEO. Olli Kähkönen.

Kähkönen is particularly interested in commercialization, the developer of the patented AaltoCell® technology is a professor Olli DahlThe technology enables the conversion of cellulose into higher value-added biomaterials with a smaller environmental footprint than traditional processes.

"Yes, we are responsible for how to make more and more valuable from less wood raw material."

The company's main product is currently microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The company produces it at its Lappeenranta factory, which will open in 2024. The market for microcrystalline cellulose is growing rapidly, for example as a binder for pharmaceutical tablets. The use of MCC is also becoming more common in dietary supplements and cosmetics.

New gear for the eye

Japanese paper and packaging material manufacturer Oji Holdings Company made a strategic investment in early 2026 by purchasing a 20 percent stake in the company. Kähkönen did not disclose the purchase price.

“I know they are interested in expanding their ownership.”

The investment is linked to the idea of ​​industrial cooperation, the introduction of new technology and market development.

According to Kähkönen, this has only scratched the surface of what Nordic Bioproducts Group could offer with its products in the future.

“In collaboration with Oji Holdings Company, we are gaining momentum for internationalization.”

According to Kähkönen, the Japanese are particularly interested in Finnish bioeconomy expertise and the cooperation networks that have emerged around the bioeconomy.

"They are also interested in broader cooperation, involving universities and Finnish bioeconomy startups, for example. I have already introduced a few to them. I am not jealously guarding this just for us."

The company's journey has not been a bed of roses. Last year was particularly difficult when the production of microcrystalline cellulose at the Lappeenranta plant began to stall.

“We noticed structural challenges at the plant. We were not able to produce enough high-quality end products and had to shut down our production for a while at the end of the year. That’s when Oji Holdings Company came on board. With their help, we have reached a situation where we can produce high-quality microcrystalline cellulose with a better cost structure than anyone else.

Nordic Bioproducts Group's turnover in 2024 was just under two million euros. Due to investments, the result was minus four million euros.

"However, we are now close to break even," believes Kähkönen.