19‑year‑old founder turns Cal AI into a $30 million‑revenue app with paid influencer promotion
Cal AI’s rapid rise to $30 million in revenue was largely driven by a strategy of paying influencers to promote the app.
16 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
Zach Yadegari, only 19, founded the AI‑powered calorie‑tracking app Cal AI in 2024. Within two years the company generated more than $30 million in revenue and was later acquired by MyFitnessPal for an undisclosed amount.
Influencer strategy
Yadegari’s growth plan relied on a small army of influencers. An early post by one influencer attracted roughly a thousand new users in two days, which convinced him to pay more creators to spread the word. The approach was linear: every post produced a predictable number of viewers who converted. He negotiated payouts tied to reach and targeted tight‑community creators who were eager for cash, often “broke college kids” who simply wanted money.
Beyond Cal AI, Yadegari launched Persona, a new AI‑assistant startup that has already raised $10 million. The company’s mission is to make computing “seamless with human life,” with an assistant that can live anywhere with an internet connection and will be supported by a hardware ecosystem.