Ekofungi

What Ekofungi does

Ekofungi DOO is a Serbia-based organic food producer founded in 2003 by biologist Ivanka Milenković and engineer Dušan Mirković, operating a circular-economy mushroom cultivation facility in Padinska Skela, Belgrade, with 7 production tunnels. The company dehydrates mushrooms and vegetables at 38°C to produce organic certified consumer SKUs (champignon, oyster mushroom, Pasta & Risotto Mix, Consomme Mix, Gourmet Mix, Ragu Mix, Granules, Mushroom Powder, and Mushbread bread mix), leveraging organic waste substrates as inputs. Its technology stack centers on proprietary substrate production methods refined over 30 years and recognized by the OECD as a unique circular economy model in the region.

The business operates three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer and Amazon marketplace sales of dehydrated food products priced in Serbian Dinars; the Ekofungi School, offering on-site (RSD 263,250) and online (RSD 113,050) mushroom cultivation training; and quote-based sales of substrate production machines and ventilation systems to aspiring commercial growers. Distribution combines a global e-commerce storefront with a regional Benelux distributor (TATCHKA SPRL), while the customer base spans health-conscious consumers in 30+ countries, aspiring mushroom entrepreneurs, food service operators, and research institutions participating in EU Horizon 2020 consortia BIOCHAMP and IPANEMA.

The company is founder-owned with no disclosed external venture or private equity backing, employs 11-50 staff, and combines food production, education, and B2B equipment under the Ekofungi and Ekofungi School sub-brands. Strategic positioning emphasizes organic certification, Blue Economy credentials, and knowledge transfer via the Ekofungi School, which has trained more than 500 growers and seeded 30+ downstream mushroom businesses globally.

Name

Ekofungi

Legal name

EKOFUNGI DOO

Website

https://systemekofungi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ekofungi is a Belgrade-based, certified organic producer of dehydrated mushroom and vegetable food products, operating a circular-economy production model and training aspiring mushroom entrepreneurs through the Ekofungi School across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Dehydrated Mushroom Food Products

NAICS

Mushroom Production (111411), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mushroom & Fungi Production (Indoor/Protected) (AFAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seaweed & Dried Vegetable Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAI), Mushroom Farming (Button, Oyster, Shiitake) (AFAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Organic mushroom production
• Dehydrated mushroom products
• Circular economy farming
• Mushroom cultivation training
• Sustainable food production

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dehydrated Food Products: Sale of certified organic dehydrated mushrooms and vegetable mixes including champignon, oyster mushrooms, and various ready-to-use meal mixes (Pasta & Risotto, Consomme, Ragu, Gourmet). Products are sold in 40g, 200g, and 450g formats through e-commerce and Amazon.
2. Education and Training: Ekofungi School offers on-site and online courses on mushroom cultivation. Full course priced at 263,250 RSD with online classes at 113,050 RSD. Downpayment option of 59,500 RSD available. Course includes accommodation, meals, and airport transfers.
3. Mushroom Cultivation Equipment: Sale of substrate production machines and ventilation systems for commercial mushroom cultivation. Products include automatic substrate production machines and ventilation systems. Pricing is quote-based.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ekofungi produces and sells certified-organic dehydrated mushroom and vegetable food products (single-ingredient champignons and oyster mushrooms, ready-to-use meal mixes such as Pasta & Risotto, Consomme, Gourmet and Ragu, mushroom granules and powder, and Mushbread) under its own brand via e-commerce and Amazon. It also operates the Ekofungi School, offering on-site and online training courses on mushroom cultivation aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs, and sells industrial substrate production machines and ventilation systems for commercial mushroom growers.

Product overview

Ekofungi is an organic-certified food production company based in Belgrade, Serbia, operating since 2003. The company produces and sells dehydrated mushroom and vegetable products under the EKOFUNGI brand, including ready-to-use mixes (Pasta & Risotto Mix, Consomme Mix, Gourmet Mix, Ragu Mix), single-ingredient products (Champignon, Oyster mushrooms), processed forms (Granules, Mushroom Powder), and a specialty bread mix (Mushbread). All products are certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and dehydrated at 38 degrees Celsius to preserve nutritional quality. The product portfolio also includes Ekofungi School, which provides on-site and online mushroom cultivation training courses, and industrial machinery for substrate production including automatic substrate production machines and ventilation systems. The company operates on circular economy principles, using local cellulose waste as inputs for mushroom cultivation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ekofungi School: Mushroom cultivation training courses for entrepreneurs, including online and on-site programs teaching sustainable mushroom growing business from local cellulose waste.
• Ekofungi Coop

Products and services

• EKOFUNGI Pasta & Risotto Mix 40g Dehydrated mushroom and vegetable mix containing champignon, leek and onion that rehydrates in 5 minutes for use with pasta or risotto. Certified organic; targeted at health-conscious consumers seeking quick meal solutions.
• EKOFUNGI Consomme Mix 40g Dehydrated mix for soup preparation containing champignons, leek, zucchini and carrot. Rehydrates in cold water for 5–10 minutes, then cooks in boiling water for 6–10 minutes. Organic certified; for individual soup servings.
• EKOFUNGI Consomme Mix 450g Bulk-size dehydrated soup mix containing champignons, leek, zucchini and carrot. Organic certified; aimed at higher-volume or foodservice use.
• EKOFUNGI Gourmet Mix 40g Dehydrated mix containing champignon, onion, parsley root, celery root, carrot and tomato. Organic certified; designed as a versatile gourmet cooking base.
• EKOFUNGI Ragu Mix 40g Dehydrated mix containing champignon, carrot, onion, cabbage, red pepper, green pepper and zucchini, ideal for sauces and stews. Organic certified.
• EKOFUNGI Ragu Mix 450g Bulk-size dehydrated ragu mix of champignon, carrot, onion, cabbage, red pepper, green pepper and zucchini; 450g dehydrated equals approximately 6kg fresh. Organic certified; suited to higher-volume or foodservice use.
• EKOFUNGI Champignon 40g Dehydrated white button mushrooms (champignons) where 40g dehydrated equals 500g fresh equivalent. Organic certified; sold in single-ingredient format for general cooking.
• EKOFUNGI Champignons & Oyster Mushroom Granules 200g Mushroom granules mix from champignons and oyster mushrooms. Gluten-free; used as pizza topping or for enriching salads and meals.
• EKOFUNGI Mushroom Powder 200g Dehydrated and ground champignon powder, providing vitamin B complex and mushroom ingredients in a versatile powdered form. Gluten-free.
• EKOFUNGI Oyster 20g Dehydrated oyster mushrooms where 20g dehydrated equals 250g fresh equivalent. Organic certified; sold as single-ingredient oyster mushrooms for general cooking.
• EKOFUNGI Mushbread Bread mix based on spelt organic flour, dehydrated mushrooms and pumpkin seed with yeast. No additives or baking powder; suitable for gluten-intolerant consumers.
• Ekofungi School — Full Course (on-site) On-site mushroom cultivation training course covering production setup, business strategy and hands-on experience. Includes facility tours, practical training, accommodation, meals and airport transfers. Targeted at aspiring entrepreneurs wanting to launch mushroom cultivation businesses.
• Ekofungi School — Online Class Remote mushroom cultivation training delivered via video call and live streaming from the Ekofungi training site. Available by request; targeted at international aspiring entrepreneurs unable to attend in person.
• EKOFUNGI Automatic Substrate Production Machine Industrial automatic machine for substrate treatment and production in commercial mushroom cultivation. Price on request, varying by size and specific characteristics according to customer needs.
• EKOFUNGI Ventilation System for Substrate Production Industrial ventilation system for substrate treatment and production in commercial mushroom farming. Price on request, sold directly to commercial mushroom growers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40g dehydrated product = 500g fresh equivalent
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BIOCHAMP ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020EU Horizon 2020 project (Grant Agreement no.: 101000651) developing an alternative sustainable peat-free biostimulant casing for mushroom industry. Consortium of 12 partners from 6 countries including ASOCHAMP-CTICH (Spain), Inagro vzw (BE), Stichting Wageningen Research (NL), CSIC (ES), Fertinagro Biotech (ES), Innovarum (ES), EUROCHAMP (ES), Kekkilä-BVB (NL), NF Fibre B.V. (NL), Uprawa Grzybów Łukasz Kiwała (PL), University of Oxford (UK), and Ekofungi. Total budget €4.2 million.
• RotterzwamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRotterzwam is the most famous European mushroom cultivation company based on reuse of coffee grounds, located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Ekofungi and Rotterzwam have developed a joint Online Master Class combining knowledge from two experienced organic mushroom cultivation companies. After many years of successful partnership and exchange of experience, the two companies co-organize training programs.
• TATCHKA SPRLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) handling distribution and sales of Ekofungi products in the region.
• IPANEMA ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Horizon 2020 research consortium focused on sustainable mushroom cultivation, involving eminent scientific institutions globally.
• IFOAM - Organics InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Organic Trade for Development in Eastern Europe (OT4D) program, funded by Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Goal is to accelerate market uptake of organic farming in Serbia.
• The Future of Hope FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZimbabwe-based foundation founded in 2013, focused on capacitating and mentoring marginalized and vulnerable members of society through entrepreneurial initiatives. Ekofungi supports this foundation with each product purchase.
• Dr. Jovana VundukcoreOthersYoung scientist who joined Ekofungi team leading scientific initiatives. Part of the team's growth following recognition by Serbian Innovation Fund.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smallhold: US-based indoor/vertical mushroom farm operating a network of macro-farms with a sustainability-forward brand identity. Comparable as a specialty mushroom producer selling branded, value-added products to retail and foodservice with a circular/sustainable story.
• Back to the Roots: US organic food company best known for mushroom grow kits and organic cereals. Comparable on the consumer mushroom cultivation / organic food product axis and shares the educational-content-driven D2C model.
• Rotterzwam: Rotterdam-based mushroom cultivation company that grows oyster mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds. Most direct peer: co-develops Ekofungi's joint Online Master Class, shares the circular-economy mushroom-from-waste philosophy, and operates as a sibling European brand in the same niche.
• Small Axe Mushrooms: US specialty mushroom brand selling fresh and value-added mushroom products to retail and foodservice. Comparable as a specialty, brand-forward mushroom company pursuing similar shelf-space and B2B horeca channels.

Broad incumbents

• Highline Mushrooms: Major North American grower and marketer of fresh and value-added mushrooms. Comparable as a large-scale mushroom producer; contrasts with Ekofungi's organic-niche positioning.
• Monaghan Mushrooms: One of the world's largest mushroom producers with vertically integrated operations across Europe, North America, and the UK. Comparable as a mushroom producer at much larger scale, defining the conventional competition Ekofungi differentiates against via organic certification.

Emerging players

• Life Cykel: Australian company producing mushroom-based products (powders, supplements) using circular-economy cultivation on waste substrates. Comparable on the mycelium/waste-to-product value chain and mushroom-derived consumer goods.
• MyForest Foods: US company producing mycelium-based bacon alternatives and other mushroom-derived food products. Comparable on the mushroom-as-ingredient, plant-based protein angle relevant to Ekofungi's dehydrated mushroom mixes.
• Four Sigmatic: Functional food brand built around mushroom-based coffees, elixirs, and supplements with strong D2C and retail presence. Comparable on the mushroom-derived consumer packaged goods axis targeting health-conscious consumers.
• GroCycle: Specializes in mushroom cultivation training and low-cost mushroom farming kits with strong educational content focus. Highly comparable on the mushroom-school / knowledge-transfer business model Ekofungi runs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ekofungischool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6Pu8YJ8xpvgo9vnVEigEpw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekofungi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekofungi-21st-century-food
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekofungi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ekofungi