Our Story
180 euros, two cafes, and zero qualifications
Where it all began
In 2016 I found a cafe in San Francisco that operated in a way I had never seen before. I decided to bring it to Finland. Instead I ended up starting a crypto company.
A year later a friend called. "Should we start that cafe you have been raving about for years?" Yes. Quickly we realized we had no money, no skills, no space, no contacts, and nothing else you would need to start a business.
But something had to be done.
January 2019 we got a small coffee table in the basement of Maria01, Helsinki's startup hub. We invented Supercoffee — bulletproof coffee mixed with superfoods and nootropics. After two months, total revenue: 180 euros. Not a hockey stick curve but at least we were doing it.
Then a smiling guy walked up to our table. Said he had been watching us. Liked our energy. "I have two cafes on Vallisaari. I don't need them. Do you guys want them?"
"Hell yeah. Just tell us where Vallisaari is." We had absolutely no clue.
After the ice melted we went there for the first time. The guy showed us the cafes, handed over the keys, said good luck, and left. We sat on the stairs trying to figure out how the hell you run a cafe. And now we had two.
First step: we brewed some coffee.
The first co-founder left after one month. The second left after month two, came back the next year, and left again. In 2021 my little brother Kasimir joined. Since then it has been the two of us and the summer crew.
Our name was The Woop Factory. Nobody on Vallisaari understood it. We switched to Easy Cafe. Too generic — you can never own that name. Finally we landed on the Finnish way to say easy. IISI. No stress.
In 2023 I put my last 5,000 euros into a new terrace next to Cafe IISI. That terrace made events possible. The first wine tasting had four guests — my dad, my stepmom, my brother, and his girlfriend.
In 2024 everything sold out before summer started. Twice.
Now we are here.
Why this works
Wine
The first tasting had four people. By 2024 we sold out twice. Wine is better when nobody tells you what you are supposed to taste.
Music
DJs play into the sunset on the archipelago. Deep house and funk. The sea sparkles. Nobody checks the time.
The island
Vallisaari was closed for decades. Nature took everything back. 400+ plant species. The place is mystical and peaceful in a way that surprises everyone.
People
Dinner with Strangers. Wine Dating. Yoga on a historic military battery. Strangers become friends in a single evening here.
The Team
Oliver Laiho
Founder
From San Francisco to a startup basement. From crypto to coffee. From the last 5,000 euros to sold-out wine tastings. When he first saw Vallisaari, it felt like walking into an unexplored world in World of Warcraft where anything is possible.
Kasimir Laiho
Founder
Joined in 2021 after the previous partners left. Since then, the brothers rebuilt both cafes from scratch, sold out the event program, and found the brand.
Timeline
Sweden builds a fortress
Vallisaari becomes part of Helsinki's maritime defense. Bunkers, tunnels, ammunition stores. No civilians.
Russia takes the island
Finland passes to Russian control. Vallisaari becomes an ammunition laboratory. Full of gunpowder and explosives. Still no civilians.
Independence. Island stays closed.
Finland gains independence. The military stays on Vallisaari. No public access. Nobody knows what is out there.
The army leaves. Nature moves in.
The military ends operations. Vallisaari is abandoned. Nobody maintains anything. Nature starts growing through bunkers, cracks, and blast craters. Something beautiful is born.
The island opens for the first time
Vallisaari opens to the public after centuries of closure. 400+ plant species have claimed the island. Same year, Oliver finds an idea in San Francisco that changes everything.
"Just tell us where Vallisaari is"
From a coffee table in a startup basement to two cafes on an island we had never heard of. First revenue: 180 euros. First plan: brew coffee.
Kasimir joins
Little brother comes aboard. Previous partners gone. Together they rebuild both cafes from the ground up.
The Woop Factory → Easy Cafe → IISI
Third name is the one. The Finnish way to say easy. No stress, take it IISI.
The last 5,000 euros
Everything on a new terrace. It makes events possible. First wine tasting: 4 guests. All family.
Sold out before summer. Twice.
No ads needed. Word spread. Every seat went.
The biggest summer yet
Wine tastings, Dinner with Strangers, Wine Dating. Magazine features and evening parties. Oliver and Kasimir are building something big.
Be part of the story
Ferry from Market Square to Vallisaari, 20 minutes. The rest takes one minute.