Cal AI co-founder Zach Yadegari has launched Persona, a personal AI assistant startup that has raised $10 million in funding and plans to introduce a $179 wearable band in December 2026. The funding round was led by Vine Ventures, with participation from Z Fellows founder Cory Levy and Collective Global.
The 19-year-old entrepreneur launched Persona after leaving MyFitnessPal in June 2026, following its acquisition of Cal AI in March for an undisclosed amount. The calorie-tracking app had generated more than $30 million in annual revenue within two years and surpassed MyFitnessPal in app store rankings.
Persona Introduces $179 Wearable AI Assistant
Persona is developing a wearable AI assistant capable of ordering food, booking rides, managing emails, arranging travel, and answering questions. Its upcoming Persona Band allows users to activate the assistant through a physical button or wrist gesture instead of continuously recording surrounding conversations.
Unlike always-listening AI wearables, Persona only processes conversations when users activate the device. The company plans to release the band in December, alongside a dedicated mobile application currently under development.
Persona is already available as a free beta service through Apple’s iMessage platform, allowing users to interact with the assistant through text messages. According to Yadegari, the service has attracted several thousand beta users, while wearable preorders have generated five figures in revenue.
Persona Uses Cloud Processing and Encrypted Data
Persona processes AI requests through cloud servers rather than storing information or running its AI models directly on the wearable. The company says user data is encrypted during transmission and storage, with options to delete stored information.
Yadegari said Persona is also implementing safeguards against phishing and prompt-injection attacks, which can manipulate AI agents into performing unauthorized actions. The assistant cannot access users’ credit card information directly, and purchases require user approval through external payment providers such as Stripe Link.
The startup has also committed to keeping private conversations separate from advertising data. Although Persona plans to generate revenue through sponsored shopping results, Yadegari said its AI assistant will recommend products based on user preferences without knowing which listings are advertisements.
Persona Plans More Automated Tasks
Yadegari is developing Persona with another co-founder whose identity has not yet been announced. The startup plans to expand its AI assistant’s capabilities beyond responding to individual requests toward identifying tasks that users may need assistance with.
The company intends to combine everyday functions such as shopping, transportation, scheduling, and communication within a single AI assistant. Yadegari said the longer-term goal is to let Persona anticipate user needs and complete routine activities with less direct interaction.
Featured image credits: Magnific.com
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