19-year-old raises $10 mn for AI startup after 15 universities reject him

Zach Yadegari, a 19-year-old entrepreneur, has raised $10 million for his AI startup, Persona, after being rejected by 15 out of 18 universities, including Ivy League institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. Yadegari, known for founding the calorie-tracking app Cal AI, has built and sold two businesses before. Cal AI was recently acquired by fitness platform MyFitnessPal in 2026.

The $10 million funding round was led by Vine Ventures, with participation from Cory Levy and Collective Global. Yadegari, who grew up on Long Island, New York, started programming at age seven and developed a keen interest in technology. He created a gaming website for students to access blocked games and sold it for around $100,000 when he was 16.

Despite his accomplishments, Yadegari faced university rejections and eventually enrolled at the University of Miami. His latest venture, Persona, aims to further expand his presence in the AI industry.