Cal AI co-founder raises $10 million for Persona AI startup

Zach Yadegari, the 19-year-old co-founder of calorie-tracking app Cal AI, has launched Persona, a personal AI assistant startup. He tells TechCrunch that Vine Ventures led its $10 million funding round, with Z Fellows founder Cory Levy and Collective Global also participating.

MyFitnessPal acquired Cal AI in March for an undisclosed sum. Yadegari says he left MyFitnessPal in June to work on Persona with another co-founder, whose identity has not been announced.

Persona is available as a free beta through iMessage, and Yadegari says it has attracted “a few thousand beta users.” The startup is also developing a $179 wearable band, which is expected to be available in December. It can activate the assistant with a button or a wrist movement. Unlike always-listening ambient AI devices, the band will not continuously listen and record, Yadegari says.

The AI model runs in Persona’s cloud, where user data is also sent and stored. The company says it encrypts data in transit and at rest and lets users delete their data. Yadegari says Persona is designed with safeguards against phishing and prompt injection. He also says the assistant cannot see credit-card details, and purchases require user approval through external payment providers such as Stripe Link.

Persona’s current business model includes advertising. Yadegari says sponsored items may appear in shopping research, but the assistant will not know which results are sponsored and will make recommendations based on user preferences. The assistant is intended to handle tasks including ordering food or rides, taking notes, booking travel, and answering questions and emails.