Our Story

Our story may not be the most extraordinary, but here it is!

We, Juuso and Eemeli, studied at Oulu University of Applied Sciences at the same time, though in different fields—Juuso in business administration and Eemeli in agriculture. We both had a passion for entrepreneurship and a strong interest in mushrooms.

Eemeli had been growing mushrooms as a hobby for years, while Juuso saw the rising trend and a market gap in Northern Finland. At this point, we didn’t even know each other—both of us were independently developing our own ideas for a mushroom business.

Then, in early summer 2023, a mutual friend introduced us, and from there, we started planning our company together. Since we were still finishing our studies, we worked on the business idea while wrapping up our degrees. Juuso’s thesis focused on market research for gourmet mushrooms in Northern Ostrobothnia, while Eemeli researched different growing substrates for lion’s mane mushrooms.

By the end of 2023, we had graduated and began looking for funding. Within a couple of months, we secured the necessary support, and in early 2024, Oulu Fungi was officially founded.

From there, the journey took off! It’s been a learning experience filled with challenges, mistakes, setbacks, and successes, but we’re excited to keep growing—both as a business and as mushroom cultivators.