Calm
Unicorn · $2B26 known investors
Calm is a mental health app offering guided meditations, sleep stories, soundscapes, and stress-relief tools designed to help users manage anxiety, improve sleep, and build healthy habits for overall wellness.
Also known as Calm.com · Calm.com, Inc.
Founders & leadership
Investors · 26
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Also in the syndicate · 2
Valuation · disclosed
Disclosed eventsSource: SEC prospectus filings, and round valuations the company or its investors disclosed — follow each entry's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Calm.com, Inc., doing business as Calm, is an American software company headquartered in San Francisco, California, that develops digital wellness products focused on meditation, sleep and mental health. Its primary product is a subscription mobile and web app available on iOS, Android, web, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Google WearOS and Samsung Health. The subscription unlocks guided meditations covering topics such as sleep, anxiety, stress, focus and gratitude; a library of more than 500 Sleep Stories; exclusive music tracks; soundscapes; daily programs such as the Daily Calm, the Daily Trip and the Daily Jay; mindful movement videos; and in-the-moment tools including a 60-second Breathe Bubble, Panic SOS and Body Scan exercises. Structured introductory programs include 7 Days of Calm and 21 Days of Calm.
Beyond the consumer app, Calm operates along three stated pillars: wellness for individuals, wellness for employees through its Calm Business (formerly described as "Calm for Business") offering, and clinical care through Calm Health. Calm Health, announced and released in October 2022, is a clinically oriented platform offering condition-specific mental health programs distributed through healthcare providers, payers and self-insured employers, initially targeted at patients with anxiety or depression. It was built following the February 2022 acquisition of Ripple Health Group.
Calm also produces content outside the app, including a book (Calm: Calm the Mind. Change the World, Penguin, 2015), a nature documentary series for HBO Max, and celebrity-narrated audio. Alanis Morissette's 2022 ambient album The Storm Before the Calm is hosted on the app, and Jay Shetty serves as chief purpose officer.
Founding story
Calm was founded on May 4, 2012 by Michael Acton Smith and Alex Tew. The concept grew out of "Do Nothing for 2 Minutes," a 2011 web experience created by Tew (built with Ben Dowling, a Geomium cofounder who became Calm's first CTO) that suggested demand for digital mindfulness tools. Tew was previously known for the 2005 "Million Dollar Homepage," which raised over $1 million by selling pixels and led him to drop out of university; he later moved to California intending to combine meditation and technology. Acton Smith was a serial entrepreneur who founded Firebox.com in 1998 and launched Moshi Monsters in 2004, a subscription virtual world for children that reached more than 80 million registered users and a $200 million valuation; after its growth stalled and he experienced burnout, he began exploring meditation with Tew and stepped down as CEO of Mind Candy in 2014 to join him.
Business model
Calm sells direct-to-consumer subscriptions to its app, and also sells to employers via its Calm Business offering and to healthcare providers, payers and self-insured employers via Calm Health. Contrary Research characterizes the company as targeting three pillars: wellness for individuals, wellness for employees, and clinical care.
Recurring subscription revenue. The App Store lists an auto-renewing monthly subscription at $14.99 per month, an auto-renewing annual subscription at $69.99 per year, and a one-time lifetime subscription at $399.99, with a free tier and free trial. TechCrunch described the consumer service as roughly $70 per year or $15 per month, supplemented by a corporate arm.
Traction
Calm reported over 40 million downloads and more than 1 million paying subscribers in February 2019; over 100 million downloads and 4 million paying users by December 2020; four million paid subscribers as of November 2022; and over 180 million downloads with 3 million 5-star reviews per its blog. Sleep Stories surpassed 100 million listens by February 2019. The App Store listing shows a 4.8 rating from about 2 million ratings and a #55 rank in Health & Fitness. Revenue was $22 million in 2017 with a reported $75 million annual run rate; TechCrunch reported the company was reportedly profitable as of December 2020.
Latest developments
Recent developments cited in sources include the February 2022 acquisition of Ripple Health Group, the October 2022 launch of Calm Health for clinical and payer/provider distribution, David Ko's appointment as CEO in 2022, a reported 20% workforce reduction in August 2022, and the December 2023 release of an AI voice-cloned James Stewart Sleep Story.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Calm describes itself as the #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation, citing a Sensor Tower Q2 2024 analysis of top US wellness apps. It was Apple's App of the Year in 2017, an Apple Best of 2018 award winner and Editors' Choice, ranked No. 19 on the 2018 Inc. 5000, and named to Fast Company's 2020 Most Innovative Companies, TIME100's 2022 Most Influential Companies and Fast Company's 2024 Brands That Matter. In February 2019 it was described as the world's first mental health unicorn. TechCrunch noted Calm and rival Headspace had together raised a combined $434 million as of December 2020.
A large proprietary content library (500+ Sleep Stories, exclusive music, soundscapes) with celebrity and well-known narrators, an originally consumer-led brand extended into employer and clinical channels, and app-store editorial recognition citing ease of use. Apple's Editors' Choice note highlighted Calm's ease of use and detail in a crowded meditation-app field.
Technology
A cross-platform consumer application (iOS, Android, web, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Google WearOS, Samsung Health) built around a streaming audio and video content library with progress tracking (daily streaks, mindful minutes) and integration with Apple Health. In December 2023 Calm said it used AI voice-cloning technology to produce "It's a Wonderful Sleep Story," narrated in the voice of actor James Stewart, 25 years after his death.
Go-to-market
Freemium consumer app distribution through the Apple App Store and Google Play with free trials converting to paid subscriptions, amplified by celebrity-narrated content (Matthew McConaughey, Stephen Fry, Bob Ross archival recordings, Harry Styles, Rosé, P!nk, Jerome Flynn, Leona Lewis) and app-store editorial placement. Enterprise and healthcare distribution runs through employers, providers and payers; during the COVID-19 pandemic Calm published free resources and partnered with Kaiser Permanente, the first health system to make Calm Premium free for its members.
Consumers seeking help with sleep, stress, anxiety and mindfulness, including children's content; employers purchasing employee mental wellness resources; and, via Calm Health, patients reached through healthcare providers, payers and self-insured employers, initially those with anxiety or depression.
Geography
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, serving users worldwide; the app is offered in English plus nine additional languages, and international language expansion was a stated priority following the 2019 funding round.
History
Founded in 2012, Calm launched an initial range of 23 Sleep Stories on December 1, 2016. Tamara Levitt became Head of Mindfulness in November 2014 and is a primary narrator. The company generated $22 million in revenue in 2017, when it had raised $1.5 million in angel investments, and reached a $250 million valuation in 2018. In February 2019 it raised $88 million led by TPG Growth, bringing total funding to $116 million at a $1 billion valuation. In December 2020 it raised $75 million led by Lightspeed Venture Partners at a $2 billion valuation. In February 2022 Calm acquired Ripple Health Group, whose founder David Ko became Calm's CEO in 2022, succeeding the founders; Calm Health launched in October 2022. In August 2022 the company reportedly laid off 20% of employees.
Risks & controversies
Wikipedia cites an August 2022 report that Calm laid off 20% of its employees. Its December 2023 use of AI voice-cloning to recreate the voice of the late actor James Stewart is noted in sources. Press coverage has also questioned the meditation-app category generally (e.g., Wired's "The Unbearable Irony of Meditation Apps"). TechCrunch reported that Calm declined to answer questions about whether paying-user figures included Calm for Business customers and about its economics, revenue growth and performance versus pre-COVID plan.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 4
by search overlap
Companies competing with Calm for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 14
launches, deals, and filingsCalm announced it had used AI voice-cloning technology to create the Christmas-themed original story 'It's a Wonderful Sleep Story' in the voice of actor James Stewart, 25 years after his death.
Calm released Calm Health, a clinically oriented platform offering condition-specific mental health programs distributed via healthcare providers, payers and self-insured employers, initially for patients with anxiety or depression.
Reports indicated Calm laid off approximately 20% of its workforce.
Calm acquired Ripple Health Group, a technology company connecting users with healthcare options, to build out Calm Health. Ripple founder David Ko subsequently became Calm's CEO.
Calm was named to TIME100's 2022 Most Influential Companies list; it was also on Fast Company's 2020 Most Innovative Companies and 2024 Brands That Matter lists.
David Ko, formerly CEO of Ripple Health Group, succeeded founders Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith as Calm's CEO.
Calm's app hosts Alanis Morissette's 2022 ambient album 'The Storm Before the Calm'.
Lightspeed Venture Partners led a $75 million investment with participation from Insight, TPG and Marc Benioff, valuing Calm at $2 billion.
$75M source ↗
Calm partnered with nonprofit health system Kaiser Permanente, the first health system to make the Calm app's Premium subscription free for its members, alongside a page of free COVID-19 resources.
Calm raised $88 million led by TPG Growth with participation from Creative Artists Agency, Insight Venture Partners and Sound Ventures, valuing the company at $1 billion and bringing total funding to $116 million.
$88M source ↗
Inc. ranked Calm.com among the fastest-growing private companies in America, at number 19 on the 2018 Inc. 5000.
Calm was named Apple's App of the Year for 2017; it also received Apple's Best of 2018 award and Editors' Choice designation.
Calm launched an initial range of 23 Sleep Stories aimed at helping adult listeners sleep.
Tamara Levitt became Calm's Head of Mindfulness and one of the app's primary narrators.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Calmcalm.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Calm do?
- Calm is a San Francisco-based mental health company whose subscription app offers meditation, Sleep Stories, music and soundscapes.
- Who are Calm's investors?
- Calm's investors include Brighter Capital, Cherubic Ventures, Connect Ventures, Elefund, EQUIAM, Evio VC, Felicis Ventures, Forefront Venture and 16 more.