# Teen founder raises $10M for new AI assistant startup

> Zach Yadegari launched Persona, a wearable‑AI band, and secured $10 million in funding.

Oossa · 2026-10-08 · https://oossa.com/en/teen-founder-raises-10m-for-new-ai-assistant-startup

Zach Yadegari, the 19‑year‑old who sold his calorie‑tracking app Cal AI, has started Persona, an AI assistant with a $179 wearable band. Vine Ventures led a $10 million seed round, joined by Z Fellows founder Cory Levy and Collective Global. The band, which activates by button or wrist flick, won’t listen continuously and runs its AI in the cloud for privacy. Persona is now in free beta on iMessage and plans to ship the band in December.

## The facts

- Raised $10 million – Vine Ventures led the round (Oct 8 2026)
- Band price: $179, shipping in December 2026

## Why it matters

The cheap, privacy‑focused wearable could give everyday users a voice‑controlled assistant without a constantly listening device.

## Sources & references

1. [Cal AI’s 19-year-old founder just raised $10M for his new AI startup](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/08/cal-ais-19-year-old-founder-just-raised-10m-for-his-new-ai-startup/) – TechCrunch, 2026-10-08

Last updated: 2026-10-08