Griksi enters the snack segment
Published: 04.11.2025.LIAA
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In recent years, Rēzekne-based company Griksi has ambitiously established itself in both Latvian and foreign markets, offering natural and healthy products based on buckwheat grown in Latvia. The company’s product range includes bars, biscuits, granola, crackers and dry mixes, but this year, after successfully completing a project in the framework of the Innovation Voucher Programme of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) the company has created new sweet and savoury snacks which are convenient to take with you in your daily routine.
The company’s founder Jūlija Danilina began her first experiments with buckwheat products for her own family’s needs – she wanted to create nutritious and natural alternatives to traditional snacks. Currently, the company focuses on using locally grown organic buckwheat to produce bars, crackers, cookies and other snacks that contain no added sugar and are natural and healthy.
Interestingly, buckwheat is not a grain at all, but a seed rightly deserving of the “superfood” label. It is gluten-free and rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Griksi products also use green buckwheat, which is not heat-treated, thus preserving even more valuable nutrients. Some of the products are also made from sprouted buckwheat, which is particularly nutritious.
The company has been operating in the food market for five years: in 2020, its first year of operation, it focused on production planning and equipment procurement. The first product tests took place in 2021, and full-scale production began in January 2022. Since then, Griksi products have been available not only in Latvia, but also on the shelves of shops in many other European countries.
Immediately after its establishment, the company joined the LIAA business incubator, taking advantage of mentoring and co-financing opportunities for various purposes, including the purchase of production equipment. Later, with the support of LIAA, the company participated in several international exhibitions, gaining valuable cooperation contacts.
Last year, Griksi applied for the LIAA Innovation Voucher Programme to develop new products in the snack category. In collaboration with the Rezekne Academy of Technologies of Riga Technical University, sweet and savoury snacks – baked bars and cookies – were created from sprouted green buckwheat. The company’s manager emphasises that customers appreciate the new products not only as healthy everyday snacks, but also as a convenient solution to take with them on their daily commute or for their children to take to school. The main added value of the newly developed products is their natural ingredients, high fibre content and the fact that no added sugar or sweeteners are used – the sweetness comes from dried fruit.
A significant turning point in the company’s development is its collaboration with one of the largest players in the industry – wholesaler Gemoss, which has helped Griksi products reach new store shelves both in Latvia and abroad. The company also cooperates with various health food stores throughout Latvia and distributors in Europe to sell its products.
Turnover is growing steadily every year, and in 2024 it increased by approximately 30%. Products manufactured in Rēzekne are exported to countries such as the Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Ireland, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and the United Kingdom.
The company has established its brand in the domestic market, but cooperation with food producers in other countries plays a major role in exports, with products being manufactured under other brand names. The CEO points out that this strategic decision allows it to enter international markets and gain valuable experience: “For a small company producing products under a customer’s brand is a very valuable experience and a new step towards further growth. It is a way to improve production processes, understand our customers and thus grow as a company,” she says.
In early October, the company travelled to Cologne to participate in Germany’s largest food industry exhibition, Anuga, representing Latvia at the national stand organised by LIAA. Griksi was particularly interested in cooperation opportunities with the Swedish market and obtaining feedback on its products. “We are very interested in broader cooperation with European countries, especially Scandinavia, which is one of the main goals of participating in Anuga. The exhibition provided valuable experience and insight into current trends in the food industry. We also took advantage of the opportunity to obtain valuable feedback on our products,” she says.
In future, the company plans to expand its product range, especially in the savoury snacks segment, and is also exploring opportunities to start manufacturing products in the sports nutrition segment, where it has already tried its hand at producing protein bars.
Information material prepared with the support of the European Regional Development Fund
