Cal AI Founder Touts Influencer Payments at TechCrunch Disrupt
Zach Yadegari said an early influencer post brought roughly a thousand users in two days, leading Cal AI to pay influencers at scale.
Cal AI founder Zach Yadegari said at TechCrunch Disrupt on Thursday that paying influencers tied to reach targets powered the calorie tracking app's growth, according to TechCrunch. An influencer's early post about the app brought roughly a thousand new users in two days, he said, prompting the company to recruit influencers at scale and pay them for posts tied to reach targets.
Yadegari said Cal AI focused on influencers with tight communities whose reach could be quantified. Cal AI, founded in 2024, generated over $30 million in revenue in two years, and was acquired by MyFitness in March for an undisclosed amount.
Earlier in October 2026, Yadegari launched Persona, an AI agent startup that has raised $10 million. He said Persona's goal is to make computing seamless with human life, with a personal AI assistant usable via iMessage, an app, email and phone calls, plus a planned hardware ecosystem.
Yadegari, 19, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus.
Quick answers
How did Cal AI grow so quickly?
Founder Zach Yadegari said the company paid influencers at scale after an early post about the app brought roughly a thousand new users in two days, focusing on creators with tight, measurable communities.
What is Persona?
Persona is an AI agent startup Zach Yadegari launched in October 2026. It has raised $10 million and aims to offer a personal AI assistant via iMessage, an app, email and phone calls, with a planned hardware ecosystem.
Who acquired Cal AI?
MyFitness acquired Cal AI in March for an undisclosed amount.