Forest Bioeconomy Investment Accelerator 2026 Project Summaries

Rodrigo Mendes on October 12, 2026

Building on years of collaboration, the Forest Bioeconomy Investment Accelerator (FBIA) is a joint initiative of the European Investment Bank Group (EIBG), the European Forest Institute (EFI) and EFI Bioregions.

The event creates a focused forum where project developers meet directly with investment experts to discuss investment readiness, financing pathways and ways to make forest bioeconomy projects more bankable. Meet the selected projects:

  • BioBlades CyL: Circular Wind-Turbine Blades from Wood-Based Biocomposites
  • CIOL: Wood Protection for Sustainable Decking and Cladding
  • Montanino Biochar: Turning Forest Biomass into Carbon-Negative Soil Solutions
  • Onliwood: AI-Driven, EUDR-Compliant Timber Marketplace for Europe
  • Optimus Silva: Data-Driven Planning for Multifunctional Forest Management
  • Project O2: AI-Driven Drone Technology for Scalable Forest Restoration
  • Re-Claim: Scaling Bark into Carbon-Storing Building Materials
  • LandraTech: Scaling Acorn Valorisation for the Forest Bioeconomy
  • LAM’ON®: Scaling Bio-Based Compostable Films for European Packaging
  • Hyphen Board: Scaling Forest-Free, Fossil-Free Structural Bioboard
  • PapairWrap: Scaling 100% Paper-Based Protective Packaging
  • Pirineus Local Forest: Scaling Landscape-Level Forest Management in the Pyrenees
  • RAIKU: Scaling Distributed Manufacturing of Bio-Based Protective Packaging
  • Wood to Farm: Valorising Sawmill Residues for Animal Feed and Health
  • Arbonics: Scaling Bankable Afforestation and Reforestation Across Europe
  • Carbon2Materials: Turning Biogenic Carbon into High-Performance Materials
  • Ecohelix: Scaling WOODMER® for Fossil-Free Packaging
  • Timber-Hybrid Wind Towers: Low-Carbon Modular Solutions for Taller Turbines
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Content: Forest Bioeconomy Investment Accelerator 2026 Project Summaries

Authors: EFI Bioregions

Year: 2026

15 questions every forest and bio-based innovator should consider before seeking investment

Rodrigo Mendes on August 22, 2026

A small green plant grows from a glass jar filled with stacked coins, set against a blurred green background with a large, upward-pointing orange arrow for the publication 15 questions every forest and bio-based innovator should consider before seeking investment

Understanding investment readiness

Many innovators approach investment before they are truly ready. They build a promising product or service, or business or initiative, reach a point where investment seems like a necessary next step, and begin approaching investors, only to find that the conversation does not go as expected. Sometimes the issue lies in the innovation or business idea itself, but more often it reflects mismatched expectations, gaps in preparation, or a limited understanding of how the investment world works.

This guide, “15 questions every forest and bio-based innovator should consider before seeking investment”, is structured in four parts: understanding the investment world, defining your position and intent, articulating your value proposition, and preparing for the investment process. Together, they provide a structured framework for engaging with investors.

These questions do not have simple right or wrong answers. Their purpose is to prompt reflection and support the clarity and confidence required when engaging in an investment process.

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Content: 15 questions every forest and bio-based innovator should consider before seeking investment

Authors: Lia Sweetman de Clar, Siebe Briers, and Jan Debets

Year: 2026

Contact the authors

The guide is drawn from the webinar series “Preparing early-stage innovations for investment readiness” delivered by EFI Bioregions in collaboration with Jan Debets of META Group, designed for researchers and early-stage innovators in the forest and bio-based sectors, with principles that apply broadly to science-based and impact-oriented ventures. Feel free to contact the authors:

Lia Sweetman de Clar (EFI): lia.sweetman@efi.int

Siebe Briers (EFI): siebe.briers@efi.int

Jan Debets (META Group): j.debets@meta-group.com

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