WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
When Paahtu’s founder first heard that used coffee grounds burn well, he was impressed. The idea of an eco-friendly way to make fire was intriguing and stayed with him – how wonderful would it be if forests didn’t need to be cut down for firewood, but instead, there was a more efficient and climate-friendly alternative. Considering that Finland has the highest coffee consumption per capita in the world, this idea had potential!
“Excuse me, what?” asked the Espresso House employee when Bahez asked if he could have the used coffee grounds.
“These grounds that have been filtered?” “Yes, exactly those.” “Uh… sure… but may I ask what you’re doing with them?” “I’m developing fire logs from coffee waste.”
Bahez used to spend a lot of time in cafés with his wife and the idea of Kahviklapi was slowly forming in his mind.
At the end of their café visits, they would ask the staff where the coffee grounds ended up, and the answer was always the same – they went to bio waste. Bahez took the used grounds with him and developed a prototype in his own kitchen.
Participation in a Bio- and Circular Economy Incubator Program
Bahez occasionally shared his idea with others and received positive feedback. At the University of Helsinki, he was encouraged to apply for the Circular Economy Incubator program, and he was selected.
Following the incubator program, Bahez participated in the Circular Economy startup competition, Frush, where the Kahviklapi idea impressed the judges and led to winning the entire competition. 
TEAM PAAHTAJAT
Inspired, Bahez set out to assemble a team, and today we have six motivated employees advancing the story of coffee circularity.
Paahtu is derived from the Finnish words for “roast” (paahtaa) and “fire” (tuli) – what could be a more fitting name to describe our company! 🔥
