Japan's Oji Holdings Invests in Nordic Bioproducts Group for AaltoCell Cellulose Technology

Nordic Bioproducts Group (NBG), a Finnish biomaterials company originating from Aalto University, has secured a strategic minority investment from Japan’s Oji Holdings Corporation, one of the world’s leading forest-based materials groups. The investment gives Oji a 20% stake in NBG and establishes a long-term partnership focused on industrial collaboration, technology deployment, and global market development. The cooperation will initially target 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, with projections to double by 2035 amid rising regulatory scrutiny and sustainability focus. NBG’s patented AaltoCell® technology offers substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, and chemical inputs compared to conventional MCC production, while meeting pharmaceutical purity standards. The technology serves as a platform for other cellulose-derived materials, supporting multi-product biorefinery models from existing forest biomass. NBG established a commercial-scale production facility in Lappeenranta, Finland, in 2024, holding EXCiPACT® certification for pharmaceutical excipients. “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.” Hiroyuki Isono, CEO at Oji Holdings, noted strong potential in technologies upgrading forest value chains sustainably, with Finland as a credible base. Founded in 2019, NBG leverages Finnish forest innovation, where exports reached €12 billion in 2024, to drive global scaling.