When it came to Cal AI’s viral success, a small army of influencers paid off

Nineteen-year-old founder Zach Yadegari revealed how his AI-powered calorie tracking application, Cal AI, achieved viral success through a calculated promotional campaign relying on paid social media creators. Founded in 2024, the startup generated over $30 million in revenue within two years before MyFitness acquired it for an undisclosed sum in March.

Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Yadegari explained that the growth strategy scaled rapidly after an early influencer post brought in roughly a thousand new users over two days. The company subsequently recruited creators by negotiating performance-based rates tied to audience reach, specifically targeting tight online communities. Following Cal AI’s acquisition, Yadegari launched Persona, a new artificial intelligence agent startup that has already secured $10 million in funding.

According to the founder, Persona aims to integrate computing into daily life through a personal assistant that operates across platforms like email, phone calls, and messaging apps, with plans to build a surrounding hardware ecosystem.