Posana founder Aditya Banerjee is making protein exciting for students
From experimenting with high-protein recipes in his kitchen back in high school to signing with major nutrition companies this year, Adi Banerjee (Neuroscience and Nutrition ’28) has always been pushing for progress with his protein bar startup Posana. Earlier this year, Posana was verified by UC Berkeley as meeting their Food and Beverage Choices Policy standards for healthier snacks, and Banerjee expects to see more of his uniquely-flavored bars across the Berkeley area in the coming months.
“I’ve been in the field of medicine and nutrition since I was 16,” Banerjee said. “During my high school weight loss journey, I tried a lot of protein products and hated all of them. They were all so chalky, so dry, the flavors were the same.”
Protein is one of the key dietary nutrients, necessary for building amino acids and repairing our cells. But for Banerjee, it isn’t only about hitting a nutrient requirement. Instead, he is invested in health and wellness as a whole, which encompasses everything from flavor to food composition.
“Nutrition is important – it’s the ingredients you put into your body, what it means to be active, what it means to take care of your body,” said Banerjee.
It was with this level of self-care in mind that he began using his cooking background to design high-protein recipes of his own. Along with home cooking, Banerjee worked at a seafood restaurant and researched with medical and academic institutions throughout high school to fortify his knowledge base. The name “Posana”, a Sanskrit word for “nourishment”, reflects this holistic approach.
Posana’s three current flavors are matcha latte, mango coconut turmeric, and cinnamon vanilla.
“Right now, the protein bar industry is very Americanized – a lot of chocolate chip cookie dough and cake batter and peanut butter cups,” said Banerjee. “I researched the fastest-growing flavors in the United States, particularly Asian flavors, which resonate with my Bengali background. It’s about diversifying and choosing exciting flavors that people resonate with.”
From there, Banerjee started testing his product at farmers markets near his upstate New York home, and later in the Berkeley area. He bootstrapped up until this February and has been focused on raising money since then.
Banerjee appreciates the UC Berkeley student lifestyle, which keeps him constantly in motion. “Being a student entrepreneur is great,” he said. “It’s one of those things you can leverage to your own benefit – if you’re pitching to investors or retailers, a lot of people like that you’re young. Berkeley has a lot of resources when it comes to fundraising, and I put myself out there as much as possible.”
He joined entrepreneurship and startup clubs on campus such as Free Ventures and Enactus, along with applying to programs like the Berkeley Big Ideas Contest. He recruited interns, including UC Berkeley students. Simultaneously, he was reaching out to consumers and refining the actual product.
“When it comes to product testing, the Berkeley area is very diverse, which really helps because there’s all these different types of people who can give me honest product feedback,” he said. “We’re still developing, so I can still take feedback, I can still go back to my food scientists and edit the product.”
The goal for the next two months is to close Posana’s pre-seed round of $500K. The company has already raised $250K from angel investors. Equally influential is the input of advisory board members from Sweetgreen, Vitaminwater, Stellar Snacks and Leisure Hydration.
“We’re establishing our teams, we’re looking for a full-time marketing person as we speak, and sorting out our distribution,” Banerjee listed off. “We’re going to have distribution in the Bay Area and in New York City, in a few hundred locations. Right now, we’re really diving into how to do well in retail.”
Next year, Banerjee aims to completely saturate the community market, particularly in the Bay Area and New York City. After starting off small and community-focused, he hopes to gradually expand to regions like Los Angeles, where Posana’s factory is currently located. Then, the next 3-5 years will involve growing into national distribution, with big-name stores like Whole Foods and Walmart. Banerjee especially hopes to engage with student health by connecting with college campus food distributors.
In the meantime, Banerjee is finding balance in his own college life. His focus is on prioritizing time and personal well-being to bring out his best for Posana.
To fellow young innovators, he advises: “Get started, immediately. You don’t even need to raise money right away, you can start in your dorm, you can start in your kitchen. When you’re young, people will take your curiosity seriously, so ask questions. Go to events, talk to as many people as possible. And go as far as possible. Keep progressing every single day.”
From experimenting with high-protein recipes in his kitchen back in high school to signing with major nutrition companies this year, Adi Banerjee (Neuroscience and Nutrition ’28) has always been pushing for progress with his protein bar startup Posana. Earlier this year, Posana was verified by UC Berkeley as meeting their Food and Beverage Choices Policy standards for healthier snacks, and Banerjee expects to see more of his uniquely-flavored bars across the Berkeley area in the coming months.
“I’ve been in the field of medicine and nutrition since I was 16,” Banerjee said. “During my high school weight loss journey, I tried a lot of protein products and hated all of them. They were all so chalky, so dry, the flavors were the same.”
Protein is one of the key dietary nutrients, necessary for building amino acids and repairing our cells. But for Banerjee, it isn’t only about hitting a nutrient requirement. Instead, he is invested in health and wellness as a whole, which encompasses everything from flavor to food composition.
“Nutrition is important – it’s the ingredients you put into your body, what it means to be active, what it means to take care of your body,” said Banerjee.
It was with this level of self-care in mind that he began using his cooking background to design high-protein recipes of his own. Along with home cooking, Banerjee worked at a seafood restaurant and researched with medical and academic institutions throughout high school to fortify his knowledge base. The name “Posana”, a Sanskrit word for “nourishment”, reflects this holistic approach.
Posana’s three current flavors are matcha latte, mango coconut turmeric, and cinnamon vanilla.
“Right now, the protein bar industry is very Americanized – a lot of chocolate chip cookie dough and cake batter and peanut butter cups,” said Banerjee. “I researched the fastest-growing flavors in the United States, particularly Asian flavors, which resonate with my Bengali background. It’s about diversifying and choosing exciting flavors that people resonate with.”
From there, Banerjee started testing his product at farmers markets near his upstate New York home, and later in the Berkeley area. He bootstrapped up until this February and has been focused on raising money since then.
Banerjee appreciates the UC Berkeley student lifestyle, which keeps him constantly in motion. “Being a student entrepreneur is great,” he said. “It’s one of those things you can leverage to your own benefit – if you’re pitching to investors or retailers, a lot of people like that you’re young. Berkeley has a lot of resources when it comes to fundraising, and I put myself out there as much as possible.”
He joined entrepreneurship and startup clubs on campus such as Free Ventures and Enactus, along with applying to programs like the Berkeley Big Ideas Contest. He recruited interns, including UC Berkeley students. Simultaneously, he was reaching out to consumers and refining the actual product.
“When it comes to product testing, the Berkeley area is very diverse, which really helps because there’s all these different types of people who can give me honest product feedback,” he said. “We’re still developing, so I can still take feedback, I can still go back to my food scientists and edit the product.”
The goal for the next two months is to close Posana’s pre-seed round of $500K. The company has already raised $250K from angel investors. Equally influential is the input of advisory board members from Sweetgreen, Vitaminwater, Stellar Snacks and Leisure Hydration.
“We’re establishing our teams, we’re looking for a full-time marketing person as we speak, and sorting out our distribution,” Banerjee listed off. “We’re going to have distribution in the Bay Area and in New York City, in a few hundred locations. Right now, we’re really diving into how to do well in retail.”
Next year, Banerjee aims to completely saturate the community market, particularly in the Bay Area and New York City. After starting off small and community-focused, he hopes to gradually expand to regions like Los Angeles, where Posana’s factory is currently located. Then, the next 3-5 years will involve growing into national distribution, with big-name stores like Whole Foods and Walmart. Banerjee especially hopes to engage with student health by connecting with college campus food distributors.
In the meantime, Banerjee is finding balance in his own college life. His focus is on prioritizing time and personal well-being to bring out his best for Posana.
To fellow young innovators, he advises: “Get started, immediately. You don’t even need to raise money right away, you can start in your dorm, you can start in your kitchen. When you’re young, people will take your curiosity seriously, so ask questions. Go to events, talk to as many people as possible. And go as far as possible. Keep progressing every single day.”