Early Stages
In the spring of 2017, Richard “Ricke” Lindroos reached out to Juhani, inviting him to be part of a fledgling company. At its genesis, the company comprised nothing more than a single supplier, a warehouse tucked into a garage, and a compelling idea. Despite its humble beginnings, Juhani was immediately captivated by the mission and the potential for a powerful business case. The company in question was Fiksuruoka, a firm where increasing scale goes hand in hand with increasing social and environmental good. Juhani ascended to the position of CEO of Fiksuruoka while still pursuing his studies at Aalto University’s School of Business, Industrial Engineering, and Management.
“I had no special passion for becoming an entrepreneur. It would have been a more common choice to become a top-tier consultant. However, I was very inspired by the idea, the business case, and I had a significant passion for building a great company.”
Juhani Järvensivu, CEO, Fiksuruoka
During the initial phase, Juhani served as the sole full-time employee. Although he admits that the early years were challenging, he also regards the company’s growth trajectory as nothing short of astounding. Today, Fiksuruoka boasts a turnover of €14 million in Finland and €8 million in the Netherlands, employing a vibrant team of 57 professionals.
What is Fiksuruoka?
Fiksuruoka’s mission is to eliminate food waste. They create a way for consumers to participate in reducing waste while also achieving significant savings. Customers can save nearly 50% compared to the lowest prices in Finnish stores. On the other hand, they assist suppliers in reducing waste and reaching their sustainability targets, returning capital that would otherwise be lost, and also compensating for the cost that would be incurred from waste.
“Food waste is a massive problem. Globally, a third of the human environmental impact comes from food, and a third of that food goes to waste. This basically means that 10% of human environmental impact is due to food waste. It is a vast global problem that Fiksuruoka is tackling in its own way.”
Juhani Järvensivu, CEO, Fiksuruoka
Read the whole interview from our In a Good Company Newsletter and hear the Juhani’s key learning points during the Fiksuruoka’s amazing journey so far.