How I Built A $1.4 Million/Month AI App At Age 18

Zach Yadegari, 18, is the co-founder and CEO of Cal AI, a calorie-tracking mobile app that uses AI to analyze photos of food. The app launched in May 2024 and has been downloaded 8.3 million times as of July 2025. Now, Cal AI is a 30-person company that brings in roughly $1.4 million in gross profit per month — after the Apple and Google Play app stores take their respective cuts — according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Produced & Shot by: Valentina Duarte
Senior Director of Video: Jessica Leibowitz
Additional Camera: Natalie Rice
Editor: Dennis Donovan
Animator: Alisa Stern
Senior Production Manager: Kathryn Mavrikakis
Additional Footage: Zach Yadegari, Getty Images

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How I Built A $1.4 Million/Month AI App At Age 18