Mö Foods: oat so close to the real thing
Alternative plant-based varieties of traditional dairy products have been gaining popularity for years. Where once it was difficult to find plant-based alternatives in the most popular supermarkets, restaurants, and coffee shops, the tides have turned, and it is now a common occurrence to drink an oat milk hazelnut latte, even while enjoying a dairy-filled pastry on the side. Whether for dietary reasons, flavour preferences, or intolerances, the market has grown, and plant-based alternatives are having their time in the spotlight. According to market analysis by Future Market Insights, the global dairy alternatives market is valued at $26.6 billion in 2026, and is forecast to reach $51.9 billion by 2036, expanding at a CAGR of 7.4%.
While alternative plant-based milks have made it into the mainstream, other dairy alternative products are not seeing the same popularity. One of these plant-based products is the alternative cheese market. As a consumer, there is still a lot of scepticism towards plant-based cheeses and whether they can live up to the well-loved dairy version.
“We’ve noticed that vegan cheese is clearly at the very end of the development curve compared to other plant-based categories, which are already much more established,” explained Annamari Jukkola, Co-Founder and CEO of Mö Foods, a startup creating oat-based cheeses.
Mö Foods was founded by sisters Annamari and Marjaana, and the pair are well placed to take on the dairy industry with their oat-based alternatives.
The founders
To understand Mö Foods, it is best to go back in time. The sisters grew up on a dairy farm in Lohtaja, Central Ostrobothnia in Finland, and Annamari explained that food has been an integral part of their lives since childhood.
“Marjaana and I founded Mö Foods together, and that shared background from the farm is really at the heart of the company: two sisters who grew up surrounded by dairy, wanting to carry that food culture forward into something new,” Annamari said.
This family background in the dairy industry inspired Annamari to study dairy technology, and she later completed a Master’s degree in the field. Her career took her to working in research and development for a dairy company, and as time moved on, she continued her education and completed a PhD in the same field.
On the other hand, her sister has a Master’s degree in Arts and Design, “which has given us a great balance: my technical, dairy-science background paired with her creative and design expertise.
“We started exploring plant-based food personally back in 2016. Quite quickly, it became clear that nothing on the market matched the flavours we remembered from childhood,” Annamari explained.
The sisters came together and founded Mö Foods in 2017.
Mö Foods and the sisters’ mission is to bring their family heritage into the plant-based cheese market, and the pair see their history in the traditional food industry as a net positive for the startup.
“Heritage is very dear to us. We have huge respect for rural life and the history and culture around food, and it shows in everything we do. It’s the reason we refuse to compromise on quality or taste. It also makes us an unusually strong bridge builder as a brand. We differ from most plant-based companies in that ‘vegan’ is never our first sales argument, even though everything we make is plant-based. Taste and quality come first.”
Mö foods
The startup is in the market of oat-based cheeses, creating a variety of styles such as spreadable cream cheese, feta style, gouda style, goat cheese style, and mozzarella style.
Mö Foods’ oat-based cheeses are made to rival any dairy competitor. “Our mission is to create plant-based cheese that stands on its own, not as a compromise, but as something people genuinely want to eat because it tastes good.”
While many plant-based brands look towards other plant-based brands as their competition, Mö Foods takes a different approach. Annamari explains: “We benchmark ourselves against dairy, not against other plant-based products. We want to be the bridge between traditional food culture and the future of food, bringing people along rather than asking them to give something up,” Annamari mentioned.
The journey hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but the mission is important to the founders. Annamari explained that the first product was difficult to get right, as a good plant-based cheese is hard to develop, taking several years to perfect, and eventually launching in 2022.
“It became completely clear to us that oat-based cheese can be part of the future of cheese culture.”
All of its cheese products start from fresh oat milk which is made in-house. This oat milk is super important for the company, especially as it is the largest ingredient in everything the startup produces. The oat milk, and quality of it, shapes the taste, melt, texture, and nutritional profile of the cheeses. Mö Foods also operates on a completely zero-waste principle.
This sustainability is also at the heart of the startup. Annamari explained: “Cheese is one of the most environmentally burdensome dairy products, so the potential impact is significant, both for the environment and for people’s health. Our mission is to protect the environment and our common future through sustainable food production, and cheese is exactly the category where we believe that impact can be greatest.”
While plant-based alternative products are often seen as being outside of the traditional food industry, with history and heritage within the industry, the sisters believe they have a leg up.
“Our advantage has been that we’re known and rooted in the traditional side of the industry. That helps us carry that part of food culture forward, just in a different way. It makes us credible and approachable, rather than positioning ourselves against the background we come from.”
Challenges and highlights
There are many challenges when building something new, Annamari said.
As she previously mentioned, compared to other plant-based alternatives, vegan cheese is at the end of the development curve. “Vegan cheese carries a lot of scepticism, and the general level of the category isn’t there yet. One of our most important jobs is to break down those preconceptions and show people how delicious our products are,” Annamari said.
This has led to a drive of showing the naysayers wrong: “What drives us is wanting to share genuine taste and enjoyment with people, and that’s really why we make cheese … The most common reaction we get is surprise, people simply don’t believe it’s a plant-based oat cheese.”
The startup has received a lot of recognition through awards, but the recognition it most wants is for people to taste the products and realise that there is a whole great-tasting world outside of dairy cheese, which it is slowly but surely doing through expanding the range and availability in European countries.
Some of the greatest highlights have come in the form of feedback. Annamari delved into this positive feedback, which sits at the heart of Mö Foods’ drive.
“Every single piece of positive consumer feedback, every time you see someone react in person and get pleasantly surprised, that stays with you.
“One thing that stands out in particular is receiving praise from professionals in the birth country of a specific cheese, a place where that cheese has been made for thousands of years, and hearing that our oat-based version is genuinely good. That kind of feedback gives an incredible feeling. International recognition for our product quality has always been a real highlight.”
Outside of feedback, Mö Foods raised a €2.4 million funding round in January 2026, which Annamari said was an important milestone for the company. “It’s wonderful to see that both our supporters and our end consumers believe in us. That gives us strength.”
The future of Mö foods
In general, the future of plant-based dairy alternative products is bright. With predictions seeing the market expanding, companies in the area will be likely to see growth.
And growth is exactly what is on Mö Foods’ mind.
“We’ve just opened up several new markets. Alongside Finland
[where the startup is based], we’re now in Germany, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark. There’s a lot of work ahead of us in these markets to build product availability and brand awareness up to a strong level. We’re also very interested to open up the Dutch market next.”This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe
