Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel become co-founders of protein soda brand Proda
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel joined sugar-free protein soda brand Proda as co-founders on Oct. 13, 2026, with roles in creative strategy and partnerships.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have joined Proda, a sugar-free protein soda brand, as co-founders, according to an announcement dated Oct. 13, 2026. They join co-CEOs Matthew Postlethwaite and Jeff Church, and Joey Gonzalez, executive chairman of the fitness brand Barry's, who was also named a co-founder.
The new names arrive at a brand that already has a national retail base. Food Business News datelines its story from Los Angeles, and Proda launched at Sprouts Farmers Market in spring 2026. It also sells on Amazon and through its own website. The company says it wants to widen into grocery, club and direct-to-consumer channels across the country.
What the co-founder role covers
The announcement says Timberlake and Biel will help shape Proda's creative strategy, flavor innovation, product development and cultural partnerships. Neither is given a title beyond co-founder. The announcement describes Timberlake as a singer, songwriter, actor and entertainer, and Biel as an actress and producer. No equity or pay terms have been announced.
Postlethwaite and Church hold the co-CEO roles. Food Business News and Food Dive both tie Church to Suja Juice, and the announcement calls him a beverage industry veteran. Postlethwaite's background is described differently by outlet. The announcement describes him as an actor and wellness entrepreneur, Food Dive identifies him as an actor, and Food Business News describes him only as a wellness entrepreneur. Gonzalez was added, according to the announcement, to bring operational scale and fitness culture expertise.
That makes five co-founders with different remits. Timberlake and Biel cover creative and product work, Gonzalez covers operations, and the co-CEOs keep the top executive roles. No division of decision-making among the five has been announced.
What is in the can
Each 12-ounce can contains 10 grams of protein from clear whey protein isolate, 3 grams of fiber and about 45 calories. The March 2026 launch release says the soda has no sugar, lactose, gluten or caffeine, and that it is sweetened with natural sweeteners. Food Business News reports that the company describes those sweeteners as perceived to be natural. Seven flavors are listed: classic orange, Shirley Temple, cherry lime, strawberry lemonade, lemon lime, golden apple and root beer.
Food Business News calls the protein soda Proda's flagship product. It reports that Proda sees existing protein drinks and emerging protein soda brands as focused heavily on fitness and muscle building, and that the brand aims to appeal to people who want to be healthier without giving up taste. Jeff Church, the co-CEO quoted in the article, says Proda has worked to be best in class on taste and benefits.
Several flavors use familiar names, such as Shirley Temple and root beer, and flavor innovation is one of the areas assigned to the new co-founders. A September 2026 release adds that each can contains complete protein and zero GMOs. These are company claims, and no outside testing has been cited for them.
The September release also introduces Golden Apple as a crisp, juicy flavor with a subtly sweet finish. The company positions it as a midday, at-home or gathering drink that also delivers protein.
A timeline from March to October
The retail rollout began on March 17, 2026, when a release announced that Proda had launched exclusively at Sprouts Farmers Market. Shelves were due nationwide on April 1, and Food Business News covered the launch on April 2, about two weeks after the release. The release's headline describes the launch as exclusive to Sprouts, while its boilerplate also lists drinkproda.com, Amazon and TikTok Shop as places to buy Proda. Its body text also says Proda would be available at drinkproda.com, Amazon and TikTok Shop, without a separate date for each.
A Sept. 2 release introduced Golden Apple as a fall flavor, with 12-packs on Amazon and availability at drinkproda.com. The co-founder announcement followed on Oct. 13, 2026, about six weeks later and nearly seven months after the Sprouts launch. Between those dates, no grocery, club or direct-to-consumer listing beyond the channels already named has been announced.
Sprouts and Amazon carry the brand
Sprouts Farmers Market is headquartered in Phoenix. Its boilerplate in the March release gives more than 480 stores in 25 states and about 36,000 team members. At launch, Proda's retail base was one grocery chain, with shelves set nationwide at $3.49 per can, a price stated in the company's March release. The Golden Apple release places the new flavor in Sprouts' grab-and-go section.
Amazon is another channel named in the coverage. The September release says Golden Apple is sold in 12-packs on Amazon, and Food Dive lists Amazon among the brand's current channels alongside Sprouts and its e-commerce site. The October announcement describes growth on Amazon in strong terms but gives no figures, and no start date for the Amazon listing has been announced.
TikTok Shop is listed in the March release, in April Food Business News coverage and in the September boilerplate, but not in the October announcement.
“The names are new, but the announcements include no sales data.”
Where the company says it is headed
The company's stated goal is to reach grocery, club and direct-to-consumer channels nationwide, and to make Proda a mainstream household staple. Those channels are plans rather than current listings. Food Dive reports that the October announcement came as the company works to enter mainstream retail.
Food Dive says celebrity co-founders could help with that goal, citing studies that suggest consumers are more willing to try unfamiliar products when a celebrity endorses them. The announcement says Timberlake and Biel will help with cultural partnerships, but names no specific partnership. No partnership has been announced, and no timeline has been given for the planned channels.
What the sales claims can and cannot support
The October announcement calls Proda the No. 1 fastest-turning protein soda in America. The September release made a similar claim, describing Proda as the No. 1 fastest-selling protein soda in America. Both are company statements. Neither cites a data source, and neither the metric nor its timeframe is specified. Food Business News and Food Dive give no sales or market figures.
No unit sales, revenue, equity terms or fees for the co-founder roles have been published. What is public is a brand listed at one national grocery chain, on Amazon, on its own website and, according to the company's boilerplate, on TikTok Shop, now with five co-founders. The names are new, but the announcements include no sales data.
