Reselo and the EIC Accelerator: Rubber From Birch Bark, No Plant

Reselo, a Swedish company founded in 2020 and led by CEO Josefin Larsson, makes Reselo Rubber, a bio-based elastomer from suberin, a compound in the outer bark of birch trees. The bark is a residue of the pulp, paper and plywood industry, "with over 600,000 tons being generated per year in Scandinavia alone". Its EIC project aimed to "prepare the technical industrialization of our birch bark biorefinery process" and "build the basis for the market launch of our Reselo Rubber", according to the final report on CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,499,999 towards a €3.64 million project from February 2023 to July 2025, according to CORDIS. The report says the process went from "an incomplete process concept" to "a technically scalable and efficient process", validated "through two pilots performed by two independent partners", and that design of a first commercial plant had started. It also says "significant investment will be required to establish our first plant and this remains a challenge especially under curent market conditions". In January 2026 Nokian Tyres launched the Betula concept tyre with Reselo's material in the tread.

Where Reselo Stands Now

Nokian Tyres said its Betula concept tyre brought renewable and recycled material to 93% of the tread and was tested in Finnish Lapland "with promising results"; it signed a development agreement with Reselo in 2024 and said development continues. Scania is testing Reselo's rubber for truck components in a Vinnova-funded project with its supplier AnVa Polytech. The report says Reselo is setting up contract manufacturing because "material supply at an acceptable cost for our customers is a major bottleneck".

The Technology: A Biorefinery for Bark

Industrial bark contains a lot of wood, so Reselo first enriches the outer bark, then chemically extracts suberin to make its rubber. The report says Reselo chose to work with industrial equipment suppliers instead of building its own pilot plant, and identified extraction and solvent recovery technologies for the process. It uses only one of the three fractions it isolates from the bark; the others can be burned for energy.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The technical half of the project, a scalable and validated process, is documented as done. The market half is incomplete: the material is being tested in footwear, tyres and automotive parts, but supply at a price customers accept depends on contract manufacturing and on a plant that is not financed. The report adds that complying with the EU's REACH chemicals rules at tonne scale will cost money and delay market entry. CORDIS lists the project as closed.

1. Scalable processDeliveredTwo independent pilots.
2. First plant designStartedSite identified.
3. Customer validationDeliveredNokian concept tyre.
4. Market launch basisPartlySupply is the bottleneck.

The Money

Reselo's turnover jumped from SEK 1.0 million in 2022 to SEK 10.8 million in 2023, the first project year, and fell to SEK 7.7 million in 2025, according to allabolag.se. Its losses have been small, SEK 2.2 million in 2025, and it had SEK 3.5 million in cash at year end. No equity round has been announced; the EIC award was grant first.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Almost all natural rubber comes from Southeast Asia, the application notes, and the rest is fossil-based. A rubber from Nordic forestry waste would give Europe its own supply. The report asks for REACH support for start-ups and clearer EU rules on phasing out fossil materials to make that happen.

The Verdict

Reselo and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.