In this week’s episode of In the Head of a Founder, your host Jonas Hagman meets Ram Nair, the Indian researcher who moved from the beaches of southern India to the rainy streets of Sweden — and ended up building one of the Nordics’ most talked-about foodtech companies, Mycorena.
Ram shares how a single patent grew into a global venture that attracted over SEK 200 million in funding, industry recognition, and partnerships with some of the biggest names in food — before market shifts, war, and scaling challenges forced a hard reset.
But this isn’t a story about failure.
It’s a story of reinvention — of how to take what you’ve built, learn from it, and let it evolve into something even stronger.
Today, Ram is back with Smaqo — a bold new food brand born from his learnings, blending science, taste, and resilience.
You’ll hear about:
🍄 The journey from researcher to founder
💡 How intellectual property shaped investor trust
🌍 Why Sweden risks losing innovation to other countries
🧠 What founders can learn about timing, patience, and persistence
Want to explore more?
👉 Check out smaqo.com and sign up for future product testing.
💡 Ram also supports other startups with funding — connect with him on LinkedIn.
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