Business · Updated 16 Oct, 05:14 am IST

Cal AI grew via paid influencers, made $30M and was acquired by MyFitnessPal

Why it matters for readers: Explains how apps can go viral and why companies pay many creators to promote products.

Cal AI was founded in 2024 and generated over $30 million in revenue in two years.1
The company was acquired by MyFitnessPal in March for an undisclosed amount.1
Founder Zach Yadegari, who is 19, credited the app’s viral growth to paying a 'small army' of influencers to post about the product.1
An early influencer post brought roughly 1,000 new users in two days, prompting the team to scale influencer recruitment quickly.1
Cal AI negotiated rates and promised payouts to influencers based on reach, which the founder described as a repeatable, linear conversion formula.1

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