An 18-year-old University of Miami freshman, Zach Yadegari, has built a burgeoning business around Cal AI, a photo-based calorie-tracking app he co-founded in May 2024. The startup says it generates roughly $1.4 million in monthly gross profit after app-store fees, with net operating income of about $274,000, supported by significant ad and marketing spend nearing $770,000 per month. The app, which charges $2.49 monthly or $29.99 annually, has 8.3 million downloads and a team of 30, according to the company.
Yadegari, who began coding at age 7 and sold a prior gaming site for about $100,000, plans to stay in college no more than a year as he pursues entrepreneurship. Cal AI relies on computer vision to estimate calories from food photos and claims 90% accuracy, but user reviews cite errors and the need for manual corrections—underscoring limits to AI’s capabilities and the reputational risk of app-store ratings. He aims to challenge incumbents such as MyFitnessPal, expand hiring and features, and exit the venture within two years, either via sale or a leadership transition.
Teen who started coding at 7 now runs an AI calorie app grossing $1.4 million a month at age 18
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