Metsä Spring invests in Montinutra, a startup converting forest wastes into high-value bioactive products

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

Metsä Spring Ltd (Metsä Group’s innovation company) has made an equity investment in Montinutra Ltd, a startup converting forest industry side streams into high-value bioactive products. The financing round totals approximately 1 M€ and Metsä Spring is participating in the round with current and new private investors.

Figure 1. Montinutra logo

Montinutra intends to produce valuable ingredients for the cosmetics, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical industries using forest industry side streams as its raw material. Metsä Group has two spruce sawmills in Finland, which may provide sawdust for the production. During 2021, Montinutra will build a pilot-scale production facility and will continue to develop bioactive products and customer applications.

The startup has several product ideas on the planning table. The company focus is first set clearly on SprucegumTM, an extract obtained from spruce sawdust. It has potential for applications in personal care, cosmetics and foodstuffs as an emulsifying and stabilising ingredient. In addition, Qusitol® (obtained also from sawdust) has shown potential for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

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