Solar Foods Oyj, press release 1 April 2025 at 09.00 EET

Rami Jokela starts as CEO of Solar Foods to lead the global growth

Rami Jokela has started today as the new CEO of Solar Foods. The strategic leadership transition marks a pivotal moment in Solar Foods’ journey, as the company advances from pioneering technological development to executing its global growth strategy towards profitability. The company’s mission to revolutionise global food production aligns with the growing demand for sustainable solutions in the face of climate challenges.

The Finnish food technology company Solar Foods is at a turning point on its journey, transitioning from a technological innovator to a global commercial player. Rami Jokela steps in as the new CEO of the company to lead this next strategic phase. With his industrial expertise and experience in scaling and growing international businesses, Jokela is well-positioned to lead Solar Foods commercial expansion and scaling Solar Foods’ operations to meet the growing demand for sustainable food solutions, while achieving profitability.

Solar Foods has started commercialisation of Solein® in the United States, one of the major protein-consuming markets in the world, with initial focus on the Health & Performance nutrition category. The company expects to receive the novel food approval in the EU during 2026.

“I’m very excited to join the Solar Foods team at such a pivotal time and to start working on the strong foundation that the Solar Foods team has built under the leadership of Pasi Vainikka, one of the co-founders of the company. It’s no small task to bring a completely new harvest to humankind, but at Solar Foods I see all the ingredients needed for the company to grow and break through to the global stage. There’s the game-changing scalable technology of Solein’s proprietary bioprocess, unique, nutritional product with great qualities and a well thought-out plan for entering strategic key markets with initial focus on the Health & Performance nutrition sector. Solar Foods is ready to enter its next phase of global expansion”, the new CEO of Solar Foods, Rami Jokela, says.

Global expansion through scaling up production

After scaling the production technology of Solein to commercial scale at Factory 01, the company’s next production facility, Factory 02, is now in its pre-engineering phase. The full design capacity of Factory 02 will be 12,800 tonnes annually, marking a major step towards a profitable production scale.

Recently, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two international customers for a commercialisation plan of altogether 6,000 tonnes of Solein per year. Should the collaboration lead to a binding agreement, the total volume commitment of 6,000 tonnes would correspond to approximately 50% of the full production capacity of Factory 02. Therefore, the company has started exploring the option of constructing not only one but three facilities, Factories 02, 03 and 04, at the same location. The investment decision is expected to be made during 2026. If this plan is realised, the Solein produced at these factories would have significant environmental and economic impact.

“The roadmap is clear: Scale up our production technology through Factory 02 and beyond to gain profitability and continue offering the most sustainable protein with excellent functionality to our customers. We want to revolutionise the global food system and take the frontrunner position in the transformation towards more sustainable food”, Jokela continues.

Media inquiries:
Maria Rämö, Communications and Engagement Manager, maria.ramo@solarfoods.com, tel. +358 10 579 3283

Images for editorial use: www.solarfoods.com/media

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What is Solein?
Solein is an all-purpose protein grown with the air we breathe: The unique bioprocess takes a single microbe, one of the billion different ones found in nature, and grows it by fermenting it using air and electricity. Solein is a nutritionally rich and versatile ingredient which can replace protein virtually in any food. Solein can also be used as a fortifier to complement the nutritional profile of various foods: it can be a source of iron, fibre and B vitamins, and it can also bring different techno-functionalities into food products. Learn more at www.solein.com.

About Solar Foods
Solar Foods produces Solein®, a protein created using carbon dioxide and electricity. This innovative production method is independent of weather and climate conditions, eliminating the need for traditional agriculture. Founded in Finland in 2017, Solar Foods is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. Learn more at www.solarfoods.com and investors.solarfoods.com.