The idea that became a brand

In 2011, Sakke is holding a plastic phone case. It’s cheap, everyone has one, and it means absolutely nothing. He thinks: does it really have to be like this?

That one question gave birth to Lastu. Not a business plan, not investor pressure — just irritation and the belief that a phone deserves something better.

The first phone cases were made from Finnish wood, by hand in Oulu. Each one was different, because wood is different. That wasn’t a marketing line — it was the whole idea.

Innovative insights

Lastu won the Design Act of the Year award in 2014. Two years later, Sakari was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Oulu.

The awards were a sign that the idea resonated more widely. But more important was what happened on the customer side: people found Lastu and stayed.

Something the world had not yet seen

In 2018, Lastu launched the world’s first M05 camouflage phone cases — with the official pattern of the Finnish Defence Forces. No one had done it before.

Some said it was too bold a move. We did it anyway, because boldness is part of what Lastu is.

Your story, your case

Customers had been asking for a long time: can I add my own image? In 2019, the answer became yes. Color printing brought personalization in—your own image, your own logo, your own story right onto the surface of the phone case.

From here on, Lastu no longer just told the brand’s story. It made room for your stories.

Made in Oulu, carried everywhere

The collaboration with design brand RATIA brought a collection to market that became a hit — over 20,000 cases sold. At the same time, Lastu cases were already being shipped to over 30 countries: Sweden, Germany, Denmark, the United States, and beyond.

Everything was still made in Oulu the whole time. And still is.

See it before you order

One thing had been missing for a long time: in the online store, you couldn’t actually see what your own case would look like. You guessed. Hoped for the best.

In 2022, that changed. A new design tool brought live preview — choose the phone model, material, and image, and see the result right in front of you. No surprises. Just what you wanted.

This isn’t getting finished

Over 15 years, copycats have come and gone. Lastu is still here — with the same determination as in 2011, but with a lot more experience.

New models are launched all the time. New materials and collaborations are tested boldly. No compromises then, and none now.