In Järlåsa, just outside Uppsala, lies the Kombobrew brewery where Thomas Radecky and Lukas Reza produce refreshing and refreshing Kombucha in different flavors. Kombucha is fermented tea with healthy properties, good for the intestinal flora, among other things, and made with only organic and natural ingredients.

Hello, Tell us more about yourself and KomboBrew!

I, Thomas, started brewing Kombucha in 2019 after taking inspiration from my mother who made kombucha at home in her kitchen. I was looking for a healthier alternative to soda and realized that there was a shortage of Kombucha in stores. The idea of my own brewery started to grow and I wrote a business plan that I pitched to my work colleague Lukas.

Lukas was well aware of the health benefits of the drink as he grew up in California where there is a wide range of options. He immediately took the plunge and we started the company in the hope of inspiring more people to make healthy choices in their everyday lives. Shortly afterwards we found a space in Järlåsa, an old bakery that had everything we needed to run a microbrewery. Here we could finally experiment without the hustle and bustle of the home kitchen. Today, two years later, we have a sustainable product that is on sale.

How did you come into contact with Upplandsbygd?

We had just registered Kombobrew as a company when Uppsala Nya Tidning wanted to do an article. Everything was new with the company, we hadn't even launched any products at the time. We were in a learning process, experimenting with different types of tea and thinking about which flavor our customers would like the most. Jenny Kangas, project manager at Upplandsbygd, read the article and contacted us. We applied for the program and were accepted. 

How has your business developed since you were accepted into the program?

Networking with the other companies in the program and seeing how they work has been incredibly rewarding. We have also had one-on-one conversations with business developers where we have learned a lot about both sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Thanks to the program, we also received support to purchase materials so that we could increase our production and switch to a more sustainable packaging alternative. We have also received help with marketing, which means that we are now ready to sell our products through retailers in Uppland. Previously, we have sold our Kombucha to acquaintances of acquaintances via social media. The future plan is for our products to be easily accessible to all residents of Sweden and of course we will continue to adapt our operations from a sustainable perspective.

What inspired you to pursue more sustainable entrepreneurship?

It was obvious when we started Kombobrew that we needed to apply sustainability to our company. But it was only through the program that we understood how to define our purpose, and how we could make sustainable decisions regarding packaging options, business development and purchasing. We will always work to have a chain of goodness behind every product, from idea to reuse. 

Thomas and Lukas' tips for those of you who also want to invest in more sustainable entrepreneurship

• Think local. Purchasing materials and raw materials from local producers reduces carbon emissions through fewer transportation while also benefiting the local market.
• Choose a part of the business. Start by choosing a part of your business that can be sustainably improved, even if it's something small, it will help a lot in the big picture.