From a Spine Injury to India's Freeze-Drying Pioneer - Yash Soni's Everaw Story
The story of a foodie, a spine injury, and a discovery that changed everything.
One Foodie
Meet Yash Soni, co-founder of Everaw. A science geek who romanticizes slow mornings, loves talking about food all day long, and whose friends lovingly call him a "failed scientist."
Things have to be precise for Yash. Whether it's a recipe, a process, or an ingredient list, no shortcuts. This obsession with precision would later become the backbone of Everaw's product philosophy.
A Dive That Changed Everything
A dive into the shallow end of a pool. That's all it took. The impact injured Yash's C3 vertebra, a serious spine injury that left him with two choices: painkillers or multivitamins to accelerate healing.
Yash was absolutely against painkillers. If multivitamins were the answer, why not get them from natural sources? Berries, nature's richest source of antioxidants and vitamins, were the obvious choice.
But here's the catch: berries in the summers of Rajasthan? The only option was packaged frozen berries, limiting consumption to smoothies, which are high calorie and not exactly convenient for daily healing.
The Cool Tech Discovery
The search for a better way to consume berries led Yash to something extraordinary, freeze-drying. The best food preservation technology known to humankind. No preservatives. No added sugar. No heat damage.
Originally developed for astronaut food by NASA, freeze-drying removes moisture at sub-zero temperatures while preserving taste, texture, color, and 97% of the nutrition. Crunchy, shelf-stable, and packed with everything the fresh fruit had.
But when Yash tried to find quality freeze-dried products in India, they simply didn't exist. Not at the standard he demanded.
One Laptop, One Freeze Dryer, 60 Sqft
So Yash did what any obsessed "failed scientist" would do, imported the machinery from the US and set up India's first freeze-drying R&D lab. In 60 square feet.
16 months of R&D followed. Hundreds of test batches. Countless failed experiments. Fine-tuning temperatures, pressures, and timings until every fruit came out perfectly crunchy, perfectly flavored, perfectly nutritious.
No one in India was doing this at the quality standard Yash demanded. So he built it from scratch.
The Idea Was Simple
Real nutrition can be clean, convenient, and tasty, perfect for busy lifestyles. No complicated ingredient lists. No hidden nasties. Just:
- Crunchy, whole fruit snacks - freeze-dried at peak ripeness, zero added sugar
- India's first fruit & superfood infused spreads - activated nut butters blended with real fruit, no palm oil
Products that kids reach for because they taste amazing, and parents hand over because they trust every ingredient.
People Joined The Revolution
Lucky Soni, a strategy builder with a decade across Deloitte and healthcare startups, joined to lead strategy, GTM, and operations. Kanika Kishnani, a creative storyteller and founder of a production house, came on board to shape the brand identity, packaging, and visual storytelling.
Together, the three co-founders set out to deliver convenient raw nutrition that kids love and parents trust. Every batch is still made with the same precision Yash brought to that first 60 sqft lab.
5,000+ People Now Love Everaw
From moms sharing their kids' reactions to freeze-dried mango, to fitness enthusiasts adding fruit snacks to their smoothie bowls, Everaw has found its way into thousands of homes across India.
Real people. Real reactions. No scripts. Just genuine love for food that's actually good for you.
We Have Come Far...
From that 60 sqft lab to a 2,400 sqft in-house production facility. From one freeze dryer to crafting India's first fruit and superfood infused spreads, activated nut butters, and a lot more.
Along the way, Anupam Mittal (Shark Tank India) tried Everaw at an event and said, "India mein toh aisa kuch nahi dekha." And finally, pitching on Shark Tank India Season 5. From an idea born out of a spine injury to a bootstrapped brand on national television.
The journey has been long, with its own challenges, but supremely rewarding. And it's still just the beginning.
What started with a dive into the shallow end of a pool has become something much bigger, a movement to make real nutrition accessible, convenient, and irresistibly tasty for every Indian family.
