Taaleri’s first bioindustry fund invests in Colombier, a company producing ecological packaging

TAALERI BIOINDUSTRY       PRESS RELEASE      16 NOVEMBER 2022 AT 9:15 (EET)

Taaleri’s first bioindustry fund invests in Colombier, a company producing ecological packaging

Taaleri’s first bioindustry fund invests in Colombier, a company producing ecological packaging. The purpose of the investment is to expand Colombier Finland’s Ecological Packaging plant producing innovative packaging materials in Pyhtää, Finland.

Colombier Finland is part of the international Colombier Group, which has 50 years of experience in paper and cardboard products. Today, the company offers its customers alternatives to plastic packaging. In addition to Finland, the group has subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Great Britain and Spain.

The investment is Taaleri Bioindustry I Fund’s first 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 fibers, organic fertilizers, functional biomaterials, and recycled materials to replace virgin products.

Taaleri Bioindustry I Fund 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 working with Colombier. The market for sustainable packaging is growing rapidly, as plastic-based packaging is increasingly being replaced by paper- and cardboard-based products. Colombier has excellent products for this market and an expanding selection,” says Tero Saarno, Director of Taaleri Bioindustry.

“Our innovative Ecological Packaging division has generated a large degree of interest from capital markets. We found a great partner in Taaleri to realise the tremendous growth potential of our award winning Colombier EcoBarrier products. We were particularly impressed by Taaleri's in-house expertise in manufacturing and green tech. Our partnership will help bring more of our environmentally sound and sustainable products to global food and packaging users,” says Colombier Group’s CEO Juha Viitala.

Taaleri's vision is to be a Nordic pioneer in alternative investments focusing on sustainability. We use capital and our expertise to build a better future, and in addition to bioindustry projects, we promote e.g. wind and solar power.

For further information, please contact:

Tero Saarno, director, Taaleri Bioindustry, +358 50 373 1923, tero.saarno@taaleri.com
Juha Viitala, CEO, Colombier Group, +31 297 231 323, juha.viitala@colombier.com

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

Colombier in brief

Colombier is a family-owned forest industry company. founded in 1975. Colombier’s vision is to produce, convert and trade sustainable packaging materials that are recyclable and biodegradable, spare global resources, and make single-use plastic redundant. Colombier EcoBarrier innovation for food packaging is paving the way for products that are recyclable and biodegradable.

The Group’s revenue is approximately EUR 25 million and it employs 70 people in Finland, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Spain and operates its own factory in Pyhtää, Finland.

Since the start, Colombier’s business has been to reduce waste, innovate new solutions and decrease the environmental footprint.