Lion's Mane mushroom in a laboratory setting

Science-led cultivation • Northern Ireland

From culture to ingredient. Every step traceable.

DEAL MANE develops controlled Lion’s Mane production processes from culture and substrate development through harvesting, drying, milling and prototype ingredient validation.

Explore the process → R&D & validation

5+ yearshands-on mycelium, culture & formulation work

End-to-endculture → grain → substrate → powder

Batch-leveldigital traceability architecture

Validation-firstmoisture, aw, microbiology & application testing

Northern Irelandpilot R&D platform with scale-up pathway

Our process journey

One biological chain. One evidence trail.

The production system is structured so the origin and processing history of a sample can be followed from culture to final powder.

Culture

Strain identity, liquid culture and agar lineage.

Grain

Spawn preparation, inoculation and transfer records.

Substrate

Recipe, batch identity and process parameters.

Fruiting & Harvest

Environment, morphology, flush and fresh yield.

Drying

Controlled time/temperature and post-dry checks.

Powder & Sample

Milling, laboratory sample ID and downstream validation.

R&D & validation

Controlled development before commercial claims.

DEAL MANE focuses on repeatability, measurable process parameters and practical ingredient validation rather than unsupported health or performance claims.

BIOLOGICAL R&D

Strains, cultures & formulations

Comparative work across Lion’s Mane strain lines, culture generations, grain pathways and substrate formulations.

POST-HARVEST

Drying & powder quality

Controlled drying and milling workflows designed around repeatability, moisture reduction and downstream sample quality.

VALIDATION

Laboratory & food application work

Prototype samples can be assessed for microbiology, moisture, water activity and behaviour in selected food or beverage matrices.

≤10%target maximum moisture specification during current R&D

≤0.60target water activity specification for dried material

45 °Ccurrent controlled drying process reference point

Batch linkedharvest, drying and sample records connected to source

Digital traceability

Data that follows the material.

The traceability architecture links culture, agar, grain, substrate, harvest, drying and sample records. This allows experimental results to be interpreted in the context of the biological and process history that produced them.

Traceability chain

LC → AGAR → GRAIN → SUBSTRATE → HARVEST → DRYING → POWDER / SAMPLE

DEAL MANE LTD Silver Level Innovator Certificate of Recognition, awarded 1 July 2026

Certificate of Recognition Silver Level Innovator • 1 July 2026

Recognition & collaboration

External recognition supporting a structured innovation pathway.

Innovate NI Innovation Framework

DEAL MANE LTD received a Certificate of Recognition for reaching Silver level on the Innovate NI Innovation Framework, dated 1 July 2026.

SRC Food Innovation Centre

DEAL MANE is collaborating with the SRC Food Innovation Centre in Northern Ireland on food innovation, technical development and validation activities.

Team

Biology and digital systems in one platform.

The project combines practical mushroom R&D with software and cloud architecture for traceable process development.

Founder & Director • Biological R&D

Darius Karalius

5+ years of hands-on work with mycelium, cultures and substrate formulations. Leads the biological system, experimental programme, process development, cultivation trials and validation logic from culture through post-harvest processing.

Practical background also includes technical, electrical/electromechanical, construction and automotive problem-solving — experience applied to building and improving pilot production systems.

Director • Digital Systems & Architecture

Deividas Macijauskas

13+ years in software and cloud technologies. Leads the digital architecture that supports process records, data structure, traceability and the development of a scalable digital platform around the biological R&D workflow.

His contribution connects laboratory and production data with a system architecture designed to support repeatability, visibility and future scale-up.

DEAL MANE LTD

Northern Ireland functional mushroom R&D.

The current focus is Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus), using a small pilot environment to validate biological and post-harvest processes before larger-scale deployment.

CompanyDEAL MANE LTD

Company numberNI733564

Registered office1 Ardboe Drive, Lurgan, Northern Ireland, BT66 8HP

Primary R&D focusLion’s Mane cultivation, drying, powder and ingredient validation

Future developmentReishi and Cordyceps development streams

Contact & collaboration

Technical collaboration, testing and ingredient development.

For laboratories, food innovation partners, research institutions and B2B ingredient development enquiries.

thedealmane.co.uk →

Registered office

DEAL MANE LTD

1 Ardboe Drive
Lurgan
Northern Ireland
BT66 8HP

Company No. NI733564