Cal AI Founder, 18, Projects $30M Revenue

Zach Yadegari, an 18-year-old, is the founder of cal AI, a tech company projected to generate $30 million in revenue this year. Despite being in his senior year of high school, Yadegari has already made a significant impact in the tech industry. Cal AI, launched in 2023, is a nutrition and fitness app that uses artificial intelligence to analyze photos of meals and estimate their calorie and nutrient content. The app has been downloaded over 5 million times on both iOS and Android platforms and employs a team of 17 people.

Yadegari's journey in tech began at a young age. He taught himself to code by watching YouTube videos starting at age 7 and sold his first startup, Totally Science, at 16. Totally Science was a gaming platform that allowed students to access games at school by bypassing firewall restrictions. The company was sold for $100,000 in January 2024 and had over 5 million users at the time of the sale. Yadegari's success with Totally Science and Cal AI highlights his entrepreneurial spirit and technical prowess.

Cal AI's success can be attributed to its user-friendly interface and innovative use of AI. The app allows users to take photos of their meals, and using AI, it estimates calorie counts and identifies ingredients and nutrients. It also includes a Health Score that evaluates the food’s nutritional value. Beyond meal tracking, Cal AI functions as a fitness tracker, allowing users to log workout details and estimate calories burned using generative AI. The app's $30 annual subscription gives it a competitive edge in a crowded marketplace.

Ask Aime: What does the success of Cal AI's nutrition and fitness app mean for the tech industry?

Yadegari's rejection by most of the colleges he applied to, despite maintaining a 4.0 GPA and scoring 34 on the ACT, has not deterred him from pursuing higher education. He remains determined to contribute to and grow within the larger whole through college, empowering him to leave an even greater lasting, positive impact on the world. Yadegari's story is a testament to the power of self-learning and entrepreneurship, and his success with Cal AI is a clear indication of his potential to make a significant impact in the tech industry.

Cal AI is among a growing number of AI-powered fitness and calorie-tracking apps. Others include SnapCalorie, ParrotPal, Dr. Cal, and Calorie Deficit Tracker. However, because such models don’t retain memory across sessions, their long-term use for tracking progress may be limited. Yadegari's success with Cal AI highlights the potential of AI in the health and fitness industry and the importance of user-friendly interfaces and innovative use of technology.