Taaleri’s bioindustry fund invests in Nordic Bioproducts Group, a company producing cellulose-based materials with a high processing value

TAALERI BIOINDUSTRY       PRESS RELEASE        30 MARCH 2023 AT 9:15 (EEST)

Taaleri’s bioindustry fund invests in Nordic Bioproducts Group, a company producing cellulose-based materials with a high processing value

Taaleri’s bioindustry fund invests in Nordic Bioproducts Group, a Finnish company producing cellulose-based materials with a high processing value. The purpose of the investment is to strengthen Nordic Bioproducts Groups’s (NBG) growth and expansion.

Nordic Bioproducts Group was founded in 2019 to develop new biomaterials based on the patented AaltoCell technology. The cellulose hybrids developed and manufactured by NBG are processed from Finnish forest fibres and cellulose-containing industrial and agricultural side and waste streams. The company aims to bring to the market environmentally more sustainable and low-emissions alternatives to fossil raw materials and harmful chemicals. For example, in the textile industry, pulp-based fibres can replace cotton and artificial fibres, and in the packaging industry, plastic. In the construction industry, bio-based pulp can be used, for example, in insulation and paints.

The investment is Taaleri Bioindustry Fund I’s third investment. The fund invests in industrial-scale production facilities and companies that can accelerate the scaling of bioindustry production. Products can be, for example, bio- and recycled fibres, organic fertilizers, functional biomaterials, and recycled materials to replace virgin products.

Taaleri Bioindustry Fund I complies with Article 9 of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and is as such a so called dark green fund that only makes sustainable investments in projects that, for example, contribute substantially to climate change mitigation. The fund has raised over EUR 100 million and continues fundraising. The state-owned special-assignment companyFinnish Climate Fund is the fund’s anchor investor.

“We are very happy to start cooperation with Nordic Bioproducts Group. We believe that the company's innovative products have an international, growing market and the opportunity to expand operations to new fields as well”, says Tero Saarno, Director of Taaleri Bioindustry.

“We are very grateful and happy to have Taaleri Bioindustry Fund I as an investor and Taaleri’s bioindustry team as our partner. Among Finnish private equity investors, the team has unique know-how and understanding of the scaling of innovative bio- and circular economy projects. With the investment, we can ensure the construction of our production plant in Lappeenranta on time and at full scale”, says Olli Kähkönen, Director at NBG.

Taaleri’s vision is to be a Nordic pioneer in alternative investments focusing on sustainability. Through our private equity funds, we create, for example, wind andsolar power, bio-based products that replace fossil resources, andaffordable and energy-efficient rental homes.

For further information, please contact:
Tero Saarno, Director, Taaleri Bioindustry, +358 50 373 1923, tero.saarno@taaleri.com
Olli Kähkönen, Director, Nordic Bioproducts Group, +358 50 511 3970, olli.kahkonen@nordicbioproducts.fi

Taaleri in brief

Taaleri is a Nordic investment and asset manager with an emphasis on renewable energy and other alternative investments. We channel capital towards economically profitable undertakings that have a lasting positive impact on the environment and society. We combine capital with talent, expertise, entrepreneurship, and a bold sense of purpose. We are a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) since 2010, and we joined the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative in 2021. Taaleri’s vision is to be a Nordic forerunner in alternative investments focusing on sustainability.

Taaleri has two business segments: Private Asset Management and Strategic Investments. Private Asset Management consists of renewable energy, real estate and bioindustry businesses. The Strategic Investments segment includes Garantia Insurance Company Ltd.

Taaleri has EUR 2.5 bn of assets under management in its private equity funds and co-investments. The company has approximately 120 employees. Taaleri Plc is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

www.taaleri.com

Nordic Bioproducts Group in brief

Nordic Bioproducts Group (NBG) is an Aalto University spin-off and start up established in 2019 developing and commercializing intelligent bioproducts, biosystemsand circular innovations that minimise the environmental and social costs of large-scale production. The company’s ground-breaking Aaltocell™ technology allows it to produce high-value-adding Micro Crystalline Cellulose (E460, MCC) and biocomponents for a wide range of applications.

Working with e.g. food, cosmetics,pharma, plastics and textile industries, NBG wants to create a healthy carbon neutral everyday life for the people, sustainable future for the planet and profit for businesses.

www.nordicbioproducts.fi