New Forests, a natural capital-focused investment manager headquartered in Sydney, has acquired a majority interest in Burapha Agro-Forestry in Laos.

The firm completed the deal via its Tropical Asia Forest Fund 2 ( TAFF2 ), with co-investment from Mirova, through its Sustainable Land Use strategy.

Burapha operates a fully integrated timber plantation and processing business, comprising 6,000 hectares of planted forests, designated conservation areas, a plywood mill, and a voluntary carbon project which has been issuing Verra-compliant credits since 2023.

With this latest acquisition, TAFF2’s footprint in Laos now spans nearly 85,000 hectares, including approximately 15,000 hectares of planted forests.

New Forests intends to expand Burapha’s plantations and further develop its carbon credit programme, while also building on the Laotian firm’s community engagement initiatives.

Highlighting the strategic appeal of the investment, Geoffrey Seeto, senior managing director of New Forests Asia, says: “We are delighted to be growing our allocation to Laos through this investment in Burapha Agro-Forestry, which is already highly regarded for its agroforestry and wood processing processes and local community engagement work. Laos’ availability of land, combined with possessing highly conducive biological growth conditions, and being strategically located [close] to areas of significant wood deficit, makes it an attractive investment destination.”

For Burapha, the deal represents an important step in scaling its ambitions. Says chief executive officer Przemyslaw Pruszynski: “We are extremely pleased to be partnering with New Forests to continue our mission to create a plantation base large enough for Laos to develop as a leading forest industry nation.”

New Forests manages around US$8 billion in assets across more than 4.2 million hectares globally, including sustainable timber plantations, conservation finance projects, agriculture, timber processing, and supporting infrastructure.

With a presence across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the United States, the company has become one of the leading players in forestry and natural capital investment worldwide.

The Burapha deal represents a major expansion of its Southeast Asia ambitions and signals growing institutional appetite for scaled, nature-positive investment opportunities in the region.