At just 18, Zach Yadegari is not your typical college freshman. While most students are adjusting to campus life, Yadegari is already the CEO of Cal AI, a calorie-tracking app generating $1.4 million in monthly revenue.
Launched in May 2024 from his parents’ home in Roslyn, New York, Cal AI uses artificial intelligence to estimate the calorie count of meals through food photos. Users simply snap a picture, and the app—boasting 90% accuracy—does the rest. The app is free to download with a subscription option at $2.49/month or $29.99/year.
Cal AI’s rise has been rapid. In its first month, it brought in over $28,000, which ballooned to $115,000 the next. As of now, the app has over 8.3 million downloads and employs a team of 30. While the company earns impressive revenue, it also spends heavily—nearly $770,000 per month on marketing alone.
Yadegari started coding at age 7 after attending a summer camp inspired by his love for Minecraft. He later built a gaming website, Totally Science, which he sold for $100,000 in early 2024. His pivot to Cal AI came after frustration with manually logging food for fitness purposes. Collaborating with longtime friend Henry Langmack and two online acquaintances, Blake Anderson and Jake Castillo, they built the app and funded early marketing with just $2,000.
Currently balancing college and startup life, Yadegari attends the University of Miami’s business school—but he doesn’t plan to stay long. Living in an off-campus mansion and driving a Lamborghini with a “CAL AI” plate, he’s embraced the startup CEO lifestyle while still coding 40 hours a week and managing his team.
Despite his success, Yadegari remains focused. He acknowledges challenges like user expectations and AI limitations, but he’s committed to improving the app and scaling it further. His goal? To surpass industry giants like MyFitnessPal.
Yadegari sees Cal AI as just the beginning. He plans to run the company for two more years before selling or stepping aside to start a new venture—ideally, one that will define his legacy.
“Age doesn’t matter,” he says. “You’re either good at what you do or you’re not—and the market decides the rest.”
