Elite-Tier Functional Mushrooms: Inside NuCelium with Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski | Episode #214

Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski, co-founders of NuCelium, break down full-spectrum functional mushroom cultivation, the science of cordycepin, and their 2025 Cordy Cup win with CordyFuel™ on Episode #214 of the PricePlow Podcast.

Episode #214 of the PricePlow Podcast goes deep with the two co-founders of NuCelium, a functional mushroom cultivation company operating out of Coldstream, British Columbia. Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski join Mike and Ben to explain NuCelium's biology-first approach to potency and why their full-spectrum growing method can outperform conventional extraction without stripping out a single compound.

The conversation covers Rob's unusual path to mushrooms (he sold his shares in nine restaurants after a vision he attributes to God) and Riley's journey from mushroom-picking robotics into cultivation science. Together with a founding mycology team carrying over 75 years of combined experience, they've built a facility where quality and affordability don't have to be trade-offs.

The headline result: NuCelium's CordyFuel™ won the 2025 Cordy Cup with a third-party verified 14.83 mg/g cordycepin reading, the highest in competition history, achieved without extraction. For the full backstory on the company, see our NuCelium brand introduction on the PricePlow Blog, but this discussion is worth your full time. Once you're done, you'll be figuring out ways to add CordyFuel and these other top-tier mushroom ingredients to your stack.

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https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nucelium-mushrooms-214

Video: Biology-First Mushrooms with NuCelium’s Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:29 — 82.3MB)

Detailed Show Notes: Riley Boudreau and Rob Swiderski of NuCelium on CordyFuel, Full-Spectrum Cultivation, and the Cordy Cup

• 0:00 – Introductions

  Table of Contents

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  Ben kicks things off by welcoming NuCelium's two co-founders. Rob Swiderski opens with his hospitality background: 25+ years running restaurants and bars across Canada, starting at Cowboys in Calgary before co-founding Craft Beer Market with childhood friend PJ L'Heureux. With 100+ taps, it became a nine-restaurant group and turned Rob into a certified Cicerone (the beer equivalent of a sommelier).

  Riley Boudreau previews a career as a serial entrepreneur, including the charity Stand with Nepal, automation and robotics work at 4AG Robotics (formerly TechBrew), and an eventual pivot to functional mushrooms after discovering full-spectrum lion's mane resolved years of gut health issues.

• 4:00 – Riley’s Origin Story: Nepal, Automation, and Mushrooms

  Riley's path to NuCelium runs through some remarkable territory, and he shares the story that kicks off our introductory NuCelium article. He co-founded Stand with Nepal in 2015 while recovering from bilateral foot surgery, ultimately coordinating the rebuilding of 83 houses, three schools, and blood donation drives across the country after the earthquake. After university, he shifted into robotics at 4AG, leading first-of-their-kind AI-guided automated mushroom-picking projects in food manufacturing.

  Realizing automation was making farms more efficient but not improving lives, he started looking for a way to grow mushrooms with real medicinal impact. It was his own experience with a North American full-spectrum lion's mane (Pure Complete 360) resolving chronic stomach issues that convinced him the functional mushroom space was worth pursuing at scale.

• 12:00 – Rob’s Premonition: The Vision That Started It All

  When asked about the premonition that launched NuCelium, Rob describes waking one night during COVID, not fully asleep and not fully awake, to an overwhelming sense of unconditional love and a clear image of bright lights and racks of mushrooms. He woke his wife to say he was selling his restaurant shares and going to grow mushrooms. She told him to go back to sleep.

  Rob followed through anyway, called his business partner, sold his shares, and burned the boats. Initially drawn to psychedelics based on PTSD research, his path shifted toward functional mushrooms after connecting with other industry builders... and eventually with Riley.

• 14:00 – Building for Biosecurity and Scale

  Riley brings automation experience directly into facility design, but with a counterintuitive opening move: NuCelium launched with minimal automation, staying agile enough to pivot as they learned. The goal was proving the biology before locking in the machinery.

  Their founding mycology team was the critical unlock. Mike Mannion, the founding mycologist with 25+ years of experience, contributed esoteric cultivation texts from multiple languages translated into practical technique. Evelyn Bailey, a protégé of one of the founders of Aloha Medicinals, brought large-scale full-spectrum growing experience. Pablo Morales, formerly of Highline Mushrooms (the world's largest organic mushroom farm), completed the trifecta. Together, 75+ years of mycology expertise informed every clean-room and biosecurity decision in the Coldstream facility.

• 20:00 – Mushroom Growing 101: Full Spectrum vs. Extraction

  

  NuCelium isn't relying on marketing claims. Their UPLC-verified cordyceps posted the highest cordycepin levels ever recorded at the 2025 Cordy Cup -- and every commercial batch is third-party tested to match.

  Traditional mushroom cultivation centers on the fruiting body (stem and cap), the transient reproductive organ the mycelium produces under stress. Because wood-grown fruiting bodies are dense and fibrous, extraction became the practical way to access their medicinal compounds -- which is why the bulk of what's come from China is in extracted form.

  NuCelium captures three things together:

  1. The fruiting body
  2. The mycelium
  3. The extracellular compounds excreted into the substrate during colonization

  That third component, the immune and digestive outputs the mycelium releases into the growth medium, is lost entirely in extraction-only methods. Riley and Rob argue these compounds work synergistically, and stripping them for extraction means trading the whole matrix for a single concentrated target.

• 26:45 – The Extract Debate: Ratio vs. Standardized

  Not all extracts are equal, and Rob draws a clear line. A ratio extract (like "10:1") tells you volume was concentrated, but often tells you nothing about what it's concentrated to, in which case it explains nothing about what's actually in the finished product. A standardized extract provides analytical data for specific bioactive concentrations. For anyone evaluating quality, ratio extracts are largely marketing, but standardized extracts show real numbers.

  NuCelium's position goes further: why extract at all if you can grow cordyceps potent enough to beat extraction while keeping the full bioactive matrix intact? Riley notes many extracts are spray-dried onto maltodextrin at roughly 50% ratios, meaning the consumer gets an isolated compound on an ultra-processed sugar carrier. The full-spectrum approach avoids that trade-off entirely, and that's the philosophical foundation behind CordyFuel™.

• 31:45 – Functional and Psychedelic Mushrooms: Where They Intersect

  

  Most cordyceps ingredients can't deliver clinically relevant cordycepin doses. CordyFuel by NuCelium guarantees 3mg/g, tested every batch.

  Ben raises a question the industry often sidesteps: will functional mushrooms and psilocybin eventually converge? Paul Stamets' well-known stack of lion's mane, niacin, and psilocybin is one data point, and the entourage effect concept runs parallel to the cannabis conversation where THC-only focus has given way to broader appreciation for the full cannabinoid profile.

  Riley adds that CordyFuel paired with a psilocybin microdose appears to produce endurance effects that more than double what either compound achieves alone. Rob shares a personal Good Friday account of completing the Murph workout (a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another mile under 20 pounds of weight in under 47 minutes on that combination. Both frame these as personal observations, not recommendations, and note the documentary Dante explores similar territory through the story of an ex-MMA fighter running 500 miles on psilocybin.

• 36:00 – Learning from Failure: How Potency Gets Unlocked

  One of the most revealing findings in NuCelium's early development: visually beautiful cordyceps with rich orange coloring tested among the worst for actual bioactive compounds! Aesthetically-ideal fruiting bodies weren't the same as biochemically potent ones.

  Digging in, the team found that many key cordyceps bioactives are immune defense responses produced during the mycelial phase under stress. Keeping the cordyceps in that mycelial phase longer, with deliberate stress applied, is what unlocked the high cordycepin levels in CordyFuel. The lesson Riley draws: what a mycologist calls a great mushroom isn't necessarily what science says is best for human benefit. This realization brought them to Paul Eftang of Nootropics Depot / Omnient Labs, whose analytical science team gave NuCelium the horsepower to validate rather than guess.

• 44:30 – The Cordy Cup: 14.83 mg/g and Competition Record

  The Cordy Cup is a global cordyceps competition organized by William Padilla-Brown (featured in Fantastic Fungi) and Mycosymbiotics, drawing both hobbyist and commercial growers worldwide for unbiased third-party testing. NuCelium entered CordyFuel at the urging of team member Jenna Erickson, who kept the founders focused on submitting amid the demands of launching the business.

  

  Riley Boudreau, CEO and Co-Founder of NuCelium

  The result: 14.83 mg/g cordycepin, the highest in competition history, on unprocessed baseline material with no extraction applied. NuCelium has since produced internal batches over 20 mg/g, but their commercial CordyFuel™ stays standardized at >3 mg/g. That's roughly 30x the industry standard, and it reflects the team's under-promise, over-deliver philosophy that runs through every discussion of standardization and consistency.

• 47:30 – Beyond Cordycepin: Adenosine, Uridine, and Longevity Bioactives

  Cordycepin gets the attention, but Riley flags other compounds worth watching. Adenosine appears alongside cordycepin in analytical work and may function as a precursor, converting into the more stable cordycepin form the body can utilize. Uridine also shows up in varying concentrations.

  More broadly, two compounds appear consistently across several mushrooms NuCelium grows: ergothioneine, a longevity-associated antioxidant, and ergosterol, a vitamin D2 precursor. Rob quotes Paul Stamets to frame the larger picture: these mushrooms are "mini pharmaceutical factories", and the science is still mapping what's inside them. As Riley notes, when you maximize cordycepin, other beneficial metabolites tend to rise alongside it. However, adenosine may go down as cordycepin increases, hinting at a precursor relationship.

• 49:15 – Benefits by Mushroom Species

  Rob walks through how NuCelium positions each mushroom by primary use case. Cordyceps militaris (the "energy mushroom") supports VO2 max and sustained energy through cordycepin's role as a precursor to ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in mitochondria, without the sharp jolt of stimulants. Lion's mane targets cognitive function via NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) and BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), supporting neuron health relevant to neurodegeneration research. Reishi covers hormone balance and relaxation, typically taken in the evening.

  Turkey tail, rich in PSK and PSP (protein-bound beta-glucans), is widely studied as a complementary approach during treatment for immune support. Chaga, shiitake, maitake, and the agaricus-style mushrooms round out the portfolio, often associated with cardiovascular and blood health. Ergothioneine and ergosterol appear across the broader catalog as longevity-oriented supporting compounds.

• 55:00 – Eight Mushrooms, One Facility

  

  Rob Swiderski, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at NuCelium

  NuCelium currently grows eight species: cordyceps, lion's mane, reishi, chaga, turkey tail, shiitake, maitake, Agaricus blazei (Almond Mushroom), and King Trumpet. Each is being optimized one species at a time for full-spectrum potency, and cordyceps was first.

  Chaga is next in commercial development. Riley says the results they've achieved with full-spectrum chaga "break the existing scientific literature" on what's possible with this growing method (an announcement is coming). Tiger's Milk (Lignosus rhinocerus), a species gaining attention for nerve health (in Episode #206, Paul Eftang shared an anecdote about it restoring feeling in his moms' hand when paired with lion's mane), is also slated for commercial release this year.

• 58:45 – Gut Health and the Prebiotic Fiber Matrix

  Riley traces his first meaningful mushroom experience directly to gut health: the full-spectrum North American lion's mane (Pure Complete 360) resolved stomach issues he'd had for years. Chaga and turkey tail both have documented connections to gut and immune health, but Rob's framing goes deeper.

  NuCelium's substrate starts as sorghum, a nutrient-dense superfood, and doesn't exit the process as inert grain filler. After the mycelium colonizes and ferments it, the substrate becomes a metabolically transformed prebiotic fiber matrix that may support the gut microbiome in ways analogous to GLP-1-related mechanisms. The full-spectrum product delivers bioactive mushroom compounds plus a prebiotic fiber system that helps with their absorption.

• 1:01:00 – Could the Substrate Become Its Own Ingredient?

  Next comes a sharp question: given what NuCelium knows about their fermented substrate's prebiotic value, could that matrix be separated and sold as a standalone ingredient? Rob confirms it's theoretically possible: if NuCelium ever created an extract and generated a waste stream, that fiber component would have real commercial value on its own.

  Mike draws a parallel to InfiniFiber, the 11-ingredient fiber product from Nootropics Depot. The mushroom fiber market hasn't been explored the way conventional fibers like psyllium husk have, and NuCelium's substrate may offer something the existing fiber category doesn't. The company is currently partnering with Dr. Genelle Lunken of UBC Vancouver on gut microbiome research to understand exactly what happens in the stomach when their product arrives.

• 1:04:30 – Play Formulator: Dream Products from NuCelium Ingredients

  

  Asked to play formulator, Rob and Riley don't hold back. Rob, looking to the near term, says he'd pair CordyFuel with psilocybin the moment legalization allows it, citing his personal Murph results as a preview of what that combination could do for endurance product design.

  Riley heads in a different direction: a detoxification blend centered on high-potency chaga, designed to address the growing environmental chemical load from synthetic fabrics, agricultural chemicals, and pesticides that are now detectable in air and water worldwide. He also flags a turkey tail plus high-cordycepin blend for people concerned about health situations as a product the industry hasn't adequately addressed, though he's careful to note NuCelium can't make formal claims on labels.

• 1:09:30 – Biosecurity: Why It’s Everything in Mushroom Farming

  Biosecurity in mushroom farming isn't an afterthought, it's existential. An errant spore from a foreign or poisonous fungal species can contaminate a grow and alter what's being produced. More dangerous: mushrooms are bioaccumulators. If the substrate or input water carries heavy metals, pesticides, or chemical contamination, the mushrooms absorb it. What appears to be a healthful lion's mane can become harmful if grown in a contaminated environment.

  For Cordyceps sinensis specifically, Riley notes it operates on a razor-thin threshold: improper genetics or growth conditions can push it toward being actively detrimental to humans. NuCelium's focus on the safer and more stable Cordyceps militaris, sealed HEPA-filtered grow chambers, and tested inputs from substrate to water supply is what allows them to consistently produce a clean, potent product at commercial scale.

• 1:13:00 – Strain Genetics: Catching and Riding the Wave

  Rather than buying spawn from external suppliers (a practice that removes control over batch-to-batch genetic consistency), NuCelium has spent years collecting hundreds of strains from around the world and domesticating each to their method and substrate. Genetics are NuCelium's IP.

  

  NuCelium's overview of Cordyceps militaris highlights four researched benefit areas covering energy, immune support, inflammatory response, and antioxidant activity.

  They describe the process of maintaining stable genetics as surfing: you watch petri dishes for the right genetic expression, catch it when it appears, then propagate that tissue slice without ever going to the spore phase (which introduces much higher genetic variance). Because mushrooms like lion's mane drift significantly from petri dish to petri dish, reading those dishes and selecting the right tissue to carry forward is itself a competitive moat that took years of diligence to build.

• 1:18:45 – Commercial Consistency: Under-Promise, Over-Deliver

  With recent commercial batches hitting 10 mg/g and a contamination/loss rate under 3%, NuCelium has the stability to move standardization expectations forward carefully. Their philosophy: only claim what you can reliably hit across multiple batches and multiple genetic generations, then exceed it quietly. When they consistently see higher standardization across multiple generations, they'll move the published number up.

  Riley contrasts this with supplement industry norms of marketing-first claims with no analytical backing. The rigor is reinforced by third-party UPLC (Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography) verification and the analytical science team at Omnient Labs, which built verification infrastructure specifically to catch the kind of overpromising that has eroded trust in the mushroom category.

• 1:22:00 – Research Roadmap: From Cell Culture to Human Trials

  NuCelium is actively building toward clinical evidence. Current work includes safety studies with Nootropics Depots' human cell culture lab, an upcoming partnership with Genelle Lunken on gut microbiome outcomes, and mushroom supplies to customers already running their own studies. Riley extends an open invitation to academic researchers: NuCelium will supply standardized, North American-grown functional mushrooms for free to credible studies.

  

  NuCelium contrasts outdated beta-glucan testing against UPLC precision, and invites brands to test competing cordyceps products at Omnient Labs at no cost.

  The longer-term goal is in vivo human trials. Mike draws a parallel to how Creapure built its research profile: consistently supply the highest-standardization ingredient in the category, and independent academics tend to choose you naturally. That dynamic reduces the cost of building an evidence base and creates a virtuous cycle of quality-driven discovery.

• 1:26:15 – What’s Next: Chaga, Tiger’s Milk, and the Substrate Study

  NuCelium has three near-term milestones.

  1. First, the chaga launch: Riley says results on full-spectrum chaga break the existing literature on potency, with an announcement coming soon.
  2. Second, Tiger's Milk is slated for commercial release this year, pushed by early results with lion's mane pairings for nerve health.
  3. Third, a substrate-versus-mycelium fungal conversion study using weekly UPLC analysis is wrapping up around year-end.A third-party science team reviewing the four-week interim data confirmed they could no longer identify the sorghum as sorghum... it had been metabolically transformed into something different. That's the analytical foundation NuCelium is building to counter the "grain filler" narrative.

  On solubility: the powder works well in ready-to-mix packs, though extended canning may cause some settling over time. And on industry collaboration: Riley closes with a shout-out to Aloha Medicinals, Monterey Mushrooms, and other competitors working alongside NuCelium on GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) certification for functional mushrooms.

  Their philosophy: "All boats rise with the tide."

Where to Follow and Learn More

Connect with Riley, Rob, and NuCelium

• LinkedIn: Riley Boudreau
• LinkedIn: Rob Swiderski
• LinkedIn: NuCelium
• Instagram: @nucelium
• NuCelium Website
• NuCelium on PricePlow (sign up for news and price alerts)

Additional PricePlow Resources on Nucelium

• NuCelium: The Canadian Mushroom Company Setting a New Standard for Cordyceps Potency - Full brand introduction
• CordyFuel: The High-Potency Cordyceps From NuCelium That's Changing Body and Brain Performance - Deep dive on cordycepin mechanisms, AMPK, and the Cordy Cup result

Thanks to Riley and Rob for the most technically-thorough conversation we've had on functional mushrooms. NuCelium is doing something rare: combining biological rigor with the analytical horsepower to actually prove the claims. If their chaga results are anything like what they delivered with CordyFuel, the category is in for another shake-up.

A big thank you to Darren and the team at PerfectShaker for sponsoring this episode -- check out their premium shaker cups at PricePlow.com/perfect-shaker, and learn more about how they became our year-long sponsor in Darren Thompson's episode #209.

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