Cal AI’s 19-year-old founder just raised $10M for his new AI startup

Zach Yadegari, the 19-year-old co-founder of calorie tracking app Cal AI, has launched a new startup called Persona and raised $10 million in funding. Vine Ventures led the investment round, with participation from Z Fellows founder Cory Levy and Collective Global. Persona is developing a personal assistant paired with a $179 wearable band scheduled for release in December.

Unlike devices that continuously record audio, Persona’s band requires a button press or a wrist flick to activate. The startup has also released a free beta version accessible through text messages, which has attracted a few thousand users and generated five-figure preorder revenue. According to the company, user data is processed in the cloud rather than on the device, with encryption applied to secure information both in transit and at rest.

Yadegari stated that user data will not be sold to advertisers, though the business model will include sponsored product results during shopping searches. The assistant also includes security safeguards to block phishing and unauthorized purchases. Yadegari previously co-founded Cal AI, which was acquired by MyFitnessPal in March after generating over $30 million in annual revenue.

He left MyFitnessPal in June to start Persona alongside an unannounced co-founder.