Calm

Calm.com, Inc., doing business as Calm, is an American software company based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2012 by Michael Acton Smith and Alex Tew, the company develops digital wellness products focused on meditation, sleep, and mental health. The concept for Calm originated from an earlier project created by co-founder Alex Tew in 2011, titled "Do Nothing for 2 Minutes," a web-based experience that demonstrated demand for digital mindfulness tools.

The company launched its mobile app in 2012 and steadily built a user base through word-of-mouth and low-cost marketing. A pivotal moment came in 2016 with the introduction of Sleep Stories, audio content designed to help users fall asleep. The innovation proved enormously popular and became a cornerstone of Calm's growth. By 2017, the company had generated $22 million in revenue with an annual run rate of $75 million. That same year, Calm was named Apple's "App of the Year."

Calm continued to expand its content library and celebrity partnerships, featuring narrators such as Stephen Fry, Matthew McConaughey, and LeBron James. In 2018, the company raised $27 million in Series A funding and was valued at $250 million. By 2022, Calm had grown to more than 4 million paying subscribers and was valued at nearly $2 billion. Co-founders Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith transitioned to co-executive chairman roles in 2022.