Overview
Its core product, Fordaq.com, launched in 1999 as an online B2B marketplace for wood products and today serves more than 300,000 professionals across 190 countries, with price indices and trade flow analysis alongside the marketplace and company directory. Benoit Nieuwenhuys is Founder and CEO. Bruno Nieuwenhuys is Co-Founder and CTO, with a background in automated surface detection. Sampsa Auvinen is Chairman; he has chaired the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries and is Honorary President of the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry. Beyond the marketplace, Fordaq develops two software products. Tally Express, introduced in 2018, uses computer vision to measure lumber bundles automatically for yards, distributors and importers. Neural Grader is an AI vision system for automated lumber grading and yield optimisation in sawmills; it can be installed in 48 hours on existing production lines, has been distributed in North America by DMSi since October 2022, and was in production in North America and Europe by 2025. Fordaq exhibited Neural Grader at LIGNA 2025. The group employs about 65 people working in 14 languages, with offices in Brussels and Bucharest. It received EIC grant funding in 2019, has raised $4.2M in total with Net Fund Europe among its investors, and has made no acquisitions.
Funding history
- Total raised: $4.2M, investors include Net Fund Europe
- 2019 Grant: Prize money grants in February and July 2019, including from the EIC Fund
Stated facts & numbers
- Founded: 2000 (Fordaq.com launched 1999)
- Headquarters: Brussels (Avenue Louise, 1050)
- Offices: Brussels, Bucharest
- Founders: Benoit Nieuwenhuys (CEO), Bruno Nieuwenhuys (CTO)
- Chairman: Sampsa Auvinen
- Employees: 64
- Products: Fordaq.com, Tally Express, Neural Grader
- Members: 300,000+ professionals, 190 countries, 14 languages
- Total raised: $4.2M
- Investors: Net Fund Europe, EIC Fund (grant)
Key people
In the news
- West Fraser announces indefinite curtailments at two US plants West Fraser plans to indefinitely curtail its Huguley OSB mill in Alabama and Leola lumber mill in Arkansas during Q4. The facilities represent 500 million square feet of annual OSB capacity and 225 million board feet of Southern Yellow Pine capacity. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dqCy8GZz #WestFraser #OSB #Sawmilling #Fordaq
- Read our special Report about🌲 International #Softwood Conference 2026 in Dublin: Europe's softwood industry adjusts to a difficult market FORDAQ team visited it and happy to share some insights: * 8 large European importing countries consumed 43.000.000 m³ of sawn softwood in 2025 * EOS member-country sawn softwood production is projected at about 72.500.000 m³ in 2026 (down 4%) * EU exports outside the Union are expected to fall by 3.400.000 m³ in 2026, to around 21.300.000 million m³ Link to the full report in the
- Stora Enso confirms permanent closure of Gruvön CLT production Stora Enso has confirmed that CLT production at Gruvön in Sweden will close permanently by the end of 2026. Around 80 positions will be affected, while sawmill operations and sawn timber deliveries will continue. This confirms the earlier closure proposal. Link in Comments #StoraEnso #CLT #MassTimber #Fordaq
- WIEHAG advances €35m investment and leadership transition Austrian engineered timber specialist WIEHAG is investing approximately €35 million at its Altheim headquarters while preparing a generational leadership transition. Valentin Wiesner has joined his father in the company’s management. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dbETGvvU #WIEHAG #EngineeredTimber #TimberConstruction #Fordaq
- Barge Forest Products expands Mississippi sawmill Barge Forest Products is investing more than US$8.3 million at its Macon sawmill. The project includes optimised edging and twin horizontal resaw equipment to improve lumber recovery and processing capacity, with completion planned for October 2027. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dwz3VynT #BargeForestProducts #Sawmilling #WoodProcessing #Fordaq
- Conifex announces up to C$11 million in federal support Conifex has announced conditional federal support of up to C$11 million for upgrades to its Mackenzie sawmill in British Columbia. The investment programme includes kilns, transfer systems and automation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/drynfNdV #Conifex #Sawmilling #BritishColumbia #Fordaq
- Valmet confirms €100m-plus pulp technology order in China Valmet will supply major pulp-processing and chemical-recovery equipment to Century Sunshine’s planned Rizhao mill. The contract exceeds €100 million, with start-up targeted for June 2028. The order was already included in Valmet’s Q2 intake. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dnaZZ94S #Valmet #CenturySunshine #PulpTechnology #Fordaq
- Canfor invests US$96 million in Arkansas sawmill expansion Canfor Southern Pine is investing approximately US$96 million to modernise its Iron Mountain sawmill and logistics infrastructure. The expansion is expected to more than double annual production to approximately 220 million board feet and create around 75 jobs. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dsY4VvTk #Canfor #Sawmilling #SouthernYellowPine #Fordaq
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