What is Helsieni?
Circular economy and urban farming
The founders of Helsieni do not understand the word ‘waste‘. Their grey brain cells have a disorder that always turns this word into ‘mushroom‘. This could be considered as a handicap, but they decided to see it as an opportunity. Thus Helsieni was born, with a core mission of cultivating mushrooms on what others call ‘waste’ (used coffee grounds, agro-industrial byproducts, or other un-utilized nutrient streams).
Helsieni does not build big factories. We believe that people should learn how to produce mushrooms at home, from their own coffee grounds. For that purpose, Helsieni provides people and companies with highly efficient low-tech solutions.
Our team
Chris Holtslag
Chief Coffee Waste Cyclist
Left in the photo
Chris enjoys creating stuff, from companies to jazz bands. He is the Flying Dutch Designer, cycling around Helsinki. To fuel up he eats spicy food, Indian or Latin-American: Ay caramba!
Favorite mushroom dish: Mushroom ceviche
+358 404712738
Stéphane Poirié
Fungi’neer
Right in the photo
When he is not busy tasting Chris’ yummy lunches, Stéphane is a loud mushroom engineer, an organic electrical grower, an enthusiastic chicken saxophonist as well as a happy jazz farmer.
Favorite mushroom dish: Mushroom ravioli
+358 449837274
Benoit Mantel
Mushroom Business
In the middle in the photo
Benoit is bringing Helsieni international. Always hungry for more business opportunities, more markets, more knowledge, more diversity, more languages… and more mushrooms.
Favorite mushroom dish: Mushroom miso soup
+358401829976
Pinja Juvonen
Product development & communications
Pinja nauttii kulinaarista elämyksistä, sateisen metsän tuoksusta ja excel-taulukoiden käytännöllisyydestä.
Paras osterivinokas-ruoka: Sienirisotto
Office & Farm
Our office is literally one minute away from Kera train station by foot – by train about 15 minutes from Helsinki Central Railway Station. The mushroom farm is in two sea containers just outside of our office. Here you can also agree to pick up your webstore orders, such as mushroom bed materials.