MyFitnessPal has acquired Cal AI, the viral calorie app built by teens

Source: TechCrunch

Acquisition Overview

After nearly a year of negotiations, MyFitnessPal has acquired the fast‑growing calorie‑counting startup Cal AI.

Cal AI is the AI‑powered food‑photo app built by two high‑school teenagers that amassed more than 15 million downloads and generated over $30 million in annual revenue within two years, according to MyFitnessPal’s announcement to TechCrunch (TechCrunch).

The Cal AI team—seven full‑time employees and a small group of contractors, including co‑founder and CEO Zach Yadegari—has been retained by MyFitnessPal’s CEO Mike Fisher. The app will continue to operate independently, maintaining its core mission of estimating calories from food photos. Since the deal closed in December, Cal AI has already been integrated with MyFitnessPal’s extensive nutrition database (20 million foods, 68,500 brands, and meals from 380+ restaurant chains).

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Fisher noted that the Cal AI team was “happy with the offer” because they did not need to sell. With $30 million in revenue, the outcome appears favorable for the 19‑year‑old co‑founders, Yadegari and his high‑school friend Henry Langmack.

“We watch the entire competitor suite,” Fisher said, referencing the roughly 70 rivals MyFitnessPal monitors. “They definitely caught our eye early last year, and we have been talking to them ever since, on and off.”

Why MyFitnessPal Pursued the Acquisition

The decision was driven by more than download numbers. Fisher was impressed by the dedication of the young team, exemplified by their unconventional work habits:

• Sunday stand‑up meetings – Because the founders are still in school, Yadegari works weekends, and the team joins him for a weekly check‑in on Sunday nights.
• Media attention and focus – Despite their age, the founders earned significant press, and Fisher described Yadegari as “an impressive young man” after meeting him in late spring.

These details signaled that the founders were treating Cal AI as a serious business rather than a hobby.

Retention and Future Plans

Fisher declined to specify the exact retention period for the founders and team post‑acquisition, noting that a four‑year term is common in the industry. What is known:

• Yadegari remains at the helm of Cal AI while attending college.
• He previously went viral on X after revealing that, despite a 4.0 GPA and a successful startup, he was rejected by 15 of the 18 top colleges he applied to (X post). He later decided to pursue a degree after a summer at a hacker house.

Fisher clarified that MyFitnessPal has no immediate plans to merge Cal AI into its main product or replace its existing photo‑meal scan feature. The two apps target different user preferences:

• Cal AI – Prioritizes speed and a hands‑off AI experience.
• MyFitnessPal – Offers detailed customization (e.g., specifying exact pickles on a hamburger).

“We both do meal scan, right? So, take a picture of your meal, we both do it,” Fisher explained. “But if MFP users take a picture of a hamburger, they can fine‑tune the inputs right down to specifying three pickles, not two. With Cal AI, there is an audience that wants it fast, AI‑based, and not to interfere with their life.”

Mike Fisher, CEO of MyFitnessPal