Cal AI acquired by MyFitness after $30 million revenue, founder used influencer army
Zach Yadegari, a 19‑year‑old founder, launched the AI‑driven calorie‑tracking app Cal AI in 2024. In two years the startup generated over $30 million in revenue and was bought by MyFitness in March for an undisclosed sum. Yadegari credited a “small army” of paid influencers – often broke college students – for the rapid user growth, noting that a single post could bring about a thousand new…
Key points
- Cal AI generated over $30 million revenue in two years and was acquired by MyFitness in March for an undisclosed amount.
- Founder Zach Yadegari grew the user base by paying a small army of influencers, each post converting a predictable number of users.
- Yadegari also launched Persona, an AI agent startup that raised $10 million to build a personal assistant for iMessage, email and phone.
Onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt, he explained that the company negotiated fixed payouts tied to reach, targeting influencers with tight‑knit communities. He also mentioned family support and downplayed the role of college education. Later that month Yadegari unveiled Persona, an AI‑agent startup that has raised $10 million to build a personal assistant that lives on iMessage, email, phone calls and other internet‑connected platforms, with plans for a hardware ecosystem around the app.
When it came to Cal AI’s viral success, a small army of influencers paid off
TechCrunch AI · 15 October 2026
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