Zach Yadegari, an 18-year-old entrepreneur, developed an AI-powered calorie-tracking app that now generates $30 million in annual revenue. Despite his financial success and a strong academic record, he was rejected by Ivy League universities and now attends the University of Miami, which he describes as a '$100,000 vacation' rather than a career necessity.
Key Takeaways
- Zach Yadegari, 18, is the co-founder of Cal AI, an app that estimates calories from food photos.
- The company reportedly generates $30 million in annual revenue and has over 30 employees.
- Yadegari taught himself to code at age seven and sold a previous online venture for $100,000 at sixteen.
- Despite a 4.0 GPA and a 34 ACT score, he was not accepted into Ivy League schools.
- He now attends the University of Miami, taking courses like philosophy for personal interest, not for business purposes.
From Personal Project to Profitable Venture
Zach Yadegari's journey into app development began with a personal fitness goal. As a teenager, he wanted to gain weight and build muscle but found existing calorie-tracking applications cumbersome and impractical for his lifestyle as a student.
"I was very, very skinny my entire life growing up, and I wanted to start getting bigger and gaining weight," Yadegari told Fortune. He explained that the need to weigh pre-portioned meals made it difficult to eat with friends in the school cafeteria or at restaurants.
Frustrated by what he called an "awful experience," Yadegari decided to create a solution. Leveraging his coding skills and the rise of artificial intelligence, he developed the concept for an app that could simplify calorie tracking by using a smartphone's camera.
The Launch and Growth of Cal AI
In May 2024, Yadegari and his co-founders, Henry Langmack, Blake Anderson, and Jake Castillo, officially launched Cal AI. The team, which he connected with through a coding camp and the social media platform X, focused on a modern marketing strategy to attract users.
"We started making TikToks, we started partnering with influencers, and then we had pretty explosive growth," he said. The strategy proved effective, quickly building a user base for the new application.
Cal AI by the Numbers
- Annual Revenue: $30 million
- Team Size: Over 30 employees
- Accuracy Rate: 90% (as reported by Yadegari)
- Subscription Cost: $2.49 per month or $29.99 annually
Following the initial success, the co-founders relocated to San Francisco to expand the company, which now employs more than 30 people. According to Yadegari, the team has declined offers from investors, choosing to fund the company's growth independently.
A Lifelong History of Coding
Yadegari's entrepreneurial success is built on over a decade of experience with technology. He began teaching himself to code at the age of seven and was offering coding lessons for $30 an hour by the time he was ten.
His first app, a game called "Speed Soccer," was published on the App Store when he was just twelve. This early project marked the beginning of his journey in software development.
Totally Science: The First Major Success
During high school, Yadegari created "Totally Science," a website that allowed students to access unblocked games on school networks. The site grew to 5 million users and generated approximately $60,000 per month from banner advertisements. At age 16, he sold the website for $100,000, providing the capital and experience to focus on building mobile apps.
"Everything I built up to that point was free," Yadegari explained. The sale of Totally Science marked a pivotal moment, shifting his focus toward creating more sophisticated applications.
An Unconventional Approach to Higher Education
Despite his business achievements and strong academic credentials, including a 4.0 GPA and a 34 ACT score, Yadegari's applications to Ivy League universities were unsuccessful. He ultimately enrolled at the University of Miami but maintains a critical view of the traditional educational path.
"I never wanted to go to college. I’ve always been against the idea that everyone should follow the same formula: get good grades, go to a good college, get a degree, get a job, and then start making money. I hated that notion."
He now treats his time at the university as an opportunity for personal exploration rather than professional development. After briefly enrolling in the business school, he switched to an undeclared major and now takes philosophy courses.
He views the significant tuition costs as an investment in life experience. "I look at it as I’m paying $100,000 a year for a vacation," he stated, adding that he is focusing on subjects "not necessarily things that are directly related to my company."
Building a Community of Gen Z Founders
In Miami, Yadegari lives with other young, successful entrepreneurs. This group of founders, aged 18 to 26, is collaborating on a new project called "App Mafia."
The initiative aims to create a community and brand that educates people on how to build and launch their own applications through online content. "We’re going to have a lot of ideas for shaping the future," Yadegari said. "We’re basically trying to lead the forefront of Gen Z builders."
This new venture reflects his ongoing commitment to the technology space and his desire to empower other young creators to follow a similar path, one that often diverges from traditional expectations of education and career-building.