Founded: 2014
Partnered: 2020
Sector: Agriculture
Products: Mushroom extracts, growing equipment, training
Industry: AgriProcessing
Market Size: $5b (Reishi Mushroom only)
Differentiation: Industry leading Reishi mushroom cultivation and extraction
Investment Stage: Seed
Mushroom Guru is a commercial cultivator of Reishi medicinal mushrooms from which it produces its GanodermaGOLD, MG-LZ8 range of nutraceutical Reishi mushroom extract products. Mushroom Guru was founded by Graig Fourie, a previous mushroom enthusiast who turned his passion into a sustainable and now scalable business.
Part of growing the business involves expanding current facilities and Mushroom Guru has secured funding and is in the process of installing its own extraction, drying and laboratory testing equipment specific to processing fungal material.
The global Reishi mushroom market was valued at $3,097.3 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $5,059.8 million by 2027, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8.1% from 2021 to 2027.
Rise in application of Reishi mushroom in healthcare products, dietary supplements, cosmetics & personal care products, as a result of growing health consciousness, is the key factors for Reishi mushroom market trends. Reishi products are sold all over the world and there has been a trend and substantial growth in the use of Reishi Mushroom in developing natural drugs to prevent and treat several immunological diseases over the last decade.
Mushroom Guru continues to make great effort to contribute to the growth of the mushroom industry by also offering growing equipment and starter kits, mushroom grain spawn and growing materials and presenting training courses to small and medium size mushroom cultivators in South Africa.
Value Proposition
Mushroom Guru have been working over many years to refine its Reishi strain, improve its cultivation and extraction techniques and have commenced with the installation of a specialist fungal extraction facility at its facility in Strand, South Africa.
This extraction process will enhance the current two-phase extraction, which is already proven to be 600 times more active than the imported Reishi Mushroom powder, by adding a proprietary third phase of extraction. The equipment and refined extraction method will only be used on fungal matter and be established in-house, as it is currently being extracted using botanical extraction processes (plant processes instead of fungal processes) at an outside company.
These developments will ideally position MG to supply its market leading extract product to the local and global market and establish itself as a Global player in the market.
Team
Craig Fourie
Craig Fourie is the founder of Mushroom Guru and has been involved in cultivating mushrooms for many years. Craig has turned his hobby into a successful business. Craig’s experience and technical knowledge is the cornerstone of the business and this expertise is now being transferred to the expanding Mushroom Guru team. Craig fulfills the role of Managing Director.
Nikki Fourie
Nikki Fourie handles the Operations side and is assisted by Gina, her administrative assistant.
Operational Staff
Other operational staff include Abongile (warehouse manager), Eddy (warehouse assistant) Tyrone (lab assistant).
