Top 10 Companies in the Lignin-Based Graphene Industry (2024): Innovators Powering the Next Wave of Advanced Materials

In Business Insights
December 05, 2025


The Global Lignin-Based Graphene Market is projected to grow significantly, driven by the escalating demand for sustainable and high-performance materials across various industries. As industries from automotive to aerospace seek eco-friendly alternatives to conventional materials, the spotlight turns to lignin-based graphene—a revolutionary material derived from renewable biomass. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Lignin-Based Graphene Industry, highlighting the key players pioneering production, innovation, and commercial application of this transformative nanomaterial.


🔟 1. Stora Enso

Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Key Offering: Lineo™ by Stora Enso (Lignin-based products for carbon materials)

Stora Enso, a leading provider of renewable solutions in the bioeconomy, is at the forefront of converting lignin into high-value materials. Their Lineo™ lignin products serve as a sustainable raw material for carbon-based applications, including the development of graphene. The company leverages its extensive experience in biomass processing to create lignin with properties suitable for advanced material synthesis.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Pioneering the use of kraft lignin as a precursor for graphene production

  • Investment in R&D for scalable and cost-effective lignin-to-graphene conversion processes

  • Commitment to a circular bioeconomy, utilizing wood-based residuals to create advanced materials

Download FREE Sample Report:
Lignin-Based Graphene Market – View in Detailed Research Report


9️⃣ 2. Borregaard

Headquarters: Sarpsborg, Norway
Key Offering: Borregaard LignoTech (Specialty lignins for various applications)

Borregaard operates one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable biorefineries. Through its LignoTech division, the company produces a wide range of lignin-based products. Their expertise in lignin chemistry positions them as a key player in developing lignin-derived carbon materials, including graphene, for use in batteries, composites, and conductive inks.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Development of high-purity lignin fractions optimized for carbonization and graphitization

  • Active research partnerships with academic institutions and industry leaders to advance lignin-based graphene applications


8️⃣ 3. Domtar Corporation

Headquarters: Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
Key Offering: BioChoice® Lignin

Domtar, a leading pulp and paper manufacturer, has commercialized its BioChoice® lignin, extracted as a co-product from its pulping processes. The company is exploring pathways to valorize this lignin stream into higher-value products, including carbon black replacements and graphene-like materials, capitalizing on the growing market for bio-based carbon.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Focus on upgrading lignin to create conductive carbon additives for plastics and rubber

  • Exploring thermal conversion techniques to produce graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide from lignin


7️⃣ 4. Ingevity

Headquarters: North Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Key Offering: Technical lignins for performance chemicals

Ingevity specializes in engineering high-performance chemicals from natural resources, including lignin. Their lignin products are primarily used in industrial applications, but the company’s deep knowledge of lignin modification and activation makes it a significant contender in the development of carbon nanomaterials for energy storage and filtration markets.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Research into activated carbon and carbon nanostructures derived from lignin precursors

  • Development of lignin-based solutions for next-generation capacitors and battery electrodes

Download FREE Sample Report:
Lignin-Based Graphene Market – View in Detailed Research Report


6️⃣ 5. Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.

Headquarters: Boyle, Alberta, Canada
Key Offering: Lignin streams from kraft pulping

Alberta-Pacific (Al-Pac) is one of North America’s largest single-line kraft pulp producers. The company is actively involved in researching value-added applications for the lignin recovered from its process streams. Their large-scale lignin supply presents a significant opportunity for cost-effective production of lignin-derived graphene.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Partnerships with research organizations to develop lignin-to-graphene conversion technologies

  • Focus on creating a sustainable value chain for forest biomass, from pulp to advanced materials


5️⃣ 6. CIMV

Headquarters: Paris, France
Key Offering: BioFinex™ Lignin (Pure lignin from CIMV biorefinery process)

CIMV has developed a unique biorefining technology that separates lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose, hemicellulose, and high-quality lignin. Their BioFinex™ lignin is known for its purity and chemical reactivity, making it an excellent candidate for synthesizing high-value carbon nanomaterials like graphene, free from the sulfur contaminants common in kraft lignin.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Proprietary technology producing sulfur-free lignin, ideal for advanced material synthesis

  • Development of tailored lignin properties for specific graphene end-uses


4️⃣ 7. Weyerhaeuser Company

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
Key Offering: Lignin co-products from timber and wood products operations

As one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, Weyerhaeuser has a vast resource base for lignocellulosic biomass. The company explores innovative uses for its biomass by-products, including the potential extraction and conversion of lignin into graphene for enhancing the properties of its wood-based composite materials and exploring new revenue streams.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • R&D focused on incorporating nano-enhanced materials into engineered wood products for improved strength and functionality

  • Exploring lignin valorization as part of its commitment to maximizing resource efficiency


3️⃣ 8. Metsä Group

Headquarters: Espoo, Finland
Key Offering: Bioproducts from Nordic wood

Metsä Group’s bioproduct mill concept is designed to maximize the value extracted from wood. While currently focused on pulp, pulp-based products, and other bioproducts, the company’s advanced ecosystem provides a strategic platform for future ventures into lignin-based advanced materials, including graphene, as the technology and market mature.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Ongoing research into new bioproducts through its innovation company, Metsä Spring

  • Commitment to the circular economy, creating potential for lignin upcycling into high-performance nanomaterials


2️⃣ 9. UPM (UPM-Kymmene Corporation)

Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Key Offering: UPM BioPiva™ lignin and other bio-based solutions

UPM is a frontrunner in the bioindustries, with a strategic focus on developing new, sustainable businesses. The company produces UPM BioPiva™ lignin for use in various industrial applications. Their strong R&D capabilities and commitment to innovation position them to play a key role in the emerging value chain for lignin-derived graphene, particularly for energy storage and functional composites.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Active exploration of lignin applications beyond traditional uses, including carbon fibers and nano-carbons

  • Investment in scaling up bio-based material technologies for commercial markets


1️⃣ 10. TBI (Thúliker Biotechnology Institute) / Academic & Research Spin-offs

Headquarters: Various (Global Research Hubs)
Key Offering: Proprietary lignin-to-graphene conversion technologies and IP

This segment comprises specialized research institutions and spin-off companies that are pioneering the core scientific advancements in lignin-based graphene production. Entities like the LignoGuard project in Europe or university spin-offs in North America are developing novel thermal, chemical, and catalytic processes to efficiently convert lignin into high-quality graphene, often holding key intellectual property.

Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Development of low-energy, high-yield conversion processes (e.g., flash pyrolysis, laser induction)

  • Creation of specialized graphene formulations with tailored electronic, mechanical, and surface properties for specific industrial applications

Read Full Report:
Lignin-Based Graphene Market – View in Detailed Research Report


🌍 Outlook: The Future of Lignin-Based Graphene Is Sustainable and High-Performance

The lignin-based graphene market is poised for a transformative phase. While traditional graphene production methods still dominate, the industry is increasingly investing in sustainable and cost-effective alternatives that utilize renewable feedstocks. The convergence of material science, green chemistry, and circular economy principles is driving this exciting frontier.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

  • R&D acceleration in efficient lignin depolymerization and graphitization techniques

  • Growing demand from the electric vehicle sector for sustainable conductive additives in batteries

  • Increasing regulatory and consumer pressure for bio-based and eco-labeled products

  • Strategic partnerships between pulp & paper giants and technology startups to commercialize production

Read Full Report:
Lignin-Based Graphene Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies profiled above are not just producing a novel material; they are actively building the foundation for a sustainable materials revolution, transforming a waste stream into a wonder material for the 21st century.