Harvard, Yale and Stanford rejected him: How a 19-year-old co-founded a $30 million-a-year app and then sold it

At 19, American entrepreneur Zach Yadegari has already experienced two sides of building a business: selling ventures he helped create and moving on to his next big idea. Zach is the co-founder of Cal AI, a calorie-intake tracking app powered by AI. His remarks about rejection from 15 out of 18 universities- which included reputed institutes like Harvard, Yale and Stanford, had gained attention. Despite the curveballs, Zach built a product that had about millions of users before it was acquired.

Who is Zach Yadegari?

Zach Yadegari was raised in Long Island, New York. Very early on, he developed an interest in technology and began to learn computer programming when he was just seven years old. His first major entrepreneurial venture came while he was still in school, when he created Totally Science, a gaming website that helped students to access games blocked on their school networks.

According to Business Insider, the young entrepreneur sold the platform for approximately $100,000 when he was only 16. The deal gave him an early taste of building and selling a business, years before Cal AI brought him wider recognition.

He was rejected by Harvard, Yale and Stanford

Yadegari became the subject of widespread attention in April 2025 after disclosing the outcome of his college applications. Of the 18 universities he had applied to, 15 had turned him down, including some of the most prestigious institutions in the United States of America: Harvard, Yale and Stanford.

The rejections surprised many because Yadegari reported having a 4.0 GPA, an ACT score of 34 and entrepreneurial experience through his already successful business ventures.

His educational background also includes studies at the University of Pennsylvania in mechatronics, robotics and automation engineering, according to his LinkedIn profile. He subsequently pursued a summer study programme at Columbia University in electrical and electronics engineering.

Cal AI reaches millions before MyFitnessPal acquisition

Yadegari's next major venture was Cal AI, an AI-powered calorie-tracking app he co-founded while still in high school. It was launched in May 2024 and quickly gained attention as it helped users to keep a track of their calorie intake using AI.

According to TechCrunch, Cal AI amassed 10 million users and generated $30 million in annual revenue. MyFitnessPal acquired the app later, adding another business sale to Yadegari's entrepreneurial record. The decision to the sell was not just for financial returns, but involved other aspects as well.

Speaking to Business Insider, Zach shared that individual priorities and ambitions were taken into consideration among the founders to reach a consensus. The discussion regarding everyone's life goals became a framework for their next decision.