Produces RETENTIS®, a biological water and nutrient storage granulate made from lignin from the pulp industry.
AgroBiogel GmbH
Tulln an der Donau, AustriaNew on Amplifa
About AgroBiogel
AgroBiogel GmbH is a spin-off of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) founded in 2021, based at Zukunftspark+ in Tulln an der Donau, Austria. The company develops and produces RETENTIS®, a 100% biological granulate for storing water and nutrients in the soil. The raw material is lignin, a side stream of the pulp industry that is otherwise mostly burned. In its own patented process, the lignin is filtered, cross-linked into a three-dimensional network and dried into storage-stable, non-hygroscopic granulate. One kilogram of granulate stores up to 10 liters of water and can reduce irrigation requirements by up to 40%; the product decomposes into humus in the soil. Industrial production has been running since 2024, and a further expanded industrial production facility was completed in 2025; the goal is an annual capacity of several thousand tonnes. Customers include agriculture, horticulture, forestry, nurseries, viticulture and municipalities in Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
- Site
- Tulln an der Donau
- Processes
- Production of RETENTIS® granulate: filtration of lignin, cross-linking into a three-dimensional, Finishing/filling of the product RETENTIS® (100% produced and packed in Austria), Production of RETENTIS® water and nutrient storage granulate from lignin (patented process), Own filtration process for lignin extraction, Distribution via online shop and sales partners, Development of further products (water storage + fertiliser, biological mulch films,
- Materials
- Lignin (by-product of the pulp industry), Own filtration process, Chemical cross-linking, Granulate drying
- Certificates
- Organic certification / fertiliser approval as soil aid incl., “Natur im Garten” quality seal, Organic certification / fertiliser approval as soil aid (EU conformity), ISO 9001
- Founded
- 2021
- Employees
- 10
- Industries
- Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Nurseries, Municipalities / public green spaces, Viticulture
- 01
Raw material lignin from the pulp industry
- 02
Filtration (own lignin extraction process)
- 03
Cross-linking into a three-dimensional network
- 04
Drying into RETENTIS® granulate
- 05
Finishing and filling
- 06
Distribution via online shop and sales partners
Material and Process
Lignin (by-product of the pulp industry)
Renewable raw material from pulp production, otherwise mostly used for energy, the basis of the patented RETENTIS® process.
Own filtration process
Extraction of the lignin from the side stream of the pulp industry.
Chemical cross-linking
Cross-linking of the lignin molecules into a three-dimensional network that stores water and dissolved nutrients and releases them again.
Granulate drying
Drying of the gel into storage-stable, non-hygroscopic final granulate.
Locations
Tulln an der Donau
ATHeadquarters, development and production (Zukunftspark+, industrial production since 2024)
- Materials
- Lignin
- Industrial demonstration production facility (2023)
- Industrial production facility (2025)
Applications and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of RETENTIS® granulate: filtration of lignin, cross-linking into a three-dimensionalPlastics | – | – | – | – | Lignin |
| Finishing/filling of the product RETENTIS® (100% produced and packed in Austria)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Lignin |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial demonstration production facility (completed 2023) | – | – | – | 2023 | Tulln an der Donau, Austria |
| Industrial production facility (completed 2025, industrial production since 2024) | – | – | – | – | Zukunftspark+, Tulln an der Donau, Austria |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certification
RETENTIS® is approved as a soil aid in Austria (incl. EU conformity) and bio-certified (Easy-Cert, BIO AUSTRIA partner); in addition, the product bears the “Natur im Garten” quality seal.
| Evidence | Tulln an der Donau |
|---|---|
| Organic certification / fertiliser approval as soil aid (EU conformity) | |
| “Natur im Garten” quality seal | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 2020
RETENTIS® reaches market maturity
- 2021
Patent application, company founded as a BOKU spin-off and start of production for the DACH region; “Natur im Garten” quality seal
- 2022
Fertiliser approval as soil aid in Austria incl. EU conformity and organic certification (Easy-Cert, BIO AUSTRIA partner)
- 2023
Completion of the industrial demonstration production facility
- 2024
Expansion to Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom; industrial production at Zukunftpark+; Lower Austrian Export Prize (category “New Exporters”, 13.11.2024)
- 2025
Completion of the industrial production facility