Calm (company)

Calm.com, Inc., doing business as Calm, is a software company based in San Francisco, California. It produces meditation products, including guided meditations and Sleep Stories on its subscription-based app.[2][3][4][5][6]

Calm.com, Inc.
TypePrivate
FoundedMay 4, 2012
Founders
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Products
Number of employees
50 (2019)[1]
Websitecalm.com

History

Calm was founded on May 4, 2012 by Michael Acton Smith and Alex Tew.[7] Tamara Levitt became the Head of Mindfulness in November 2014 and is one of the app's primary narrators.[8]

The company generated $22 million in revenue in 2017 and reached an annual revenue run rate of $75 million.[9] As of 2017, Calm had raised $1.5M in angel investments.[10]

As of February 2019, the company was valued at $1 billion and had raised $116 million, with contributions from existing investors, including Insight Venture Partners, Ashton Kutcher's Sound Ventures, and Creative Artists Agency.[1]

Calm was Apple's "App of the Year" in 2017,[10] and was ranked by Inc. as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America in 2018.[11]

In February 2022, Calm acquired Ripple Health Group, a technology company that connects users with proper healthcare options.[12] The acquisition focused on building Calm Health,[13][14] which was released in October 2022 and offered through traditional healthcare providers, payers, and self-insured employers.[15] It was initially offered to patients suffering from anxiety or depression. The company planned to add mental health programs for those with other physical conditions.[6]

In November 2022, Calm had four million paid subscribers.[12]

Product

Calm produces meditation products, including guided meditations, a book, narrated Sleep Stories, and health and meditation videos. Their primary product is the meditation app, available on iPhone and Android devices.[16][17]

The app features both meditation tools and sleep aids.

The meditation area offers breathing exercises, a daily meditation, several multi-day programs, and unguided and guided meditation sessions.[18][19]

On December 1, 2016, Calm launched an initial range of 23 Sleep Stories, with the aim of helping adult listeners sleep.[20]

Sleep Stories include archival recordings of Bob Ross,[21] classical and ambient music including compositions by Johannes Brahms, Sigur Rós, deadmau5, and Moby, as well as original stories and public domain fiction read by narrators including LeBron James, Stephen Fry, Lucy Liu, Idris Elba, Kate Winslet,[22] Beatie Wolfe, Danai Gurira, Joanna Lumley, Jerome Flynn, Terry W. Virts, Rosè, Keith Morrison, Tom Hiddleston, Clarke Peters, Richard Hamilton, Cillian Murphy, Kelly Rowland, ASMR content creator Emma "WhispersRed" Smith, League of Legends voice actor Erik Braa, Peter Jefferson, Freema Agyeman, Eva Green, LeVar Burton, Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, Harry Styles[23][24] and Matthew McConaughey.[25] Leona Lewis contributed narration to the sleep stories in 2018, supporting (RED)'s Global Fund to end AIDS.[26]

The company also produced a nature documentary series for HBO Max.[27][28]

The app also hosts Alanis Morissette's 2022 ambient album The Storm Before the Calm.[29]

Jay Shetty, the company's chief purpose officer, hosts a short mindfulness message called "The Daily Jay."[12]

Publications
  • Calm: Calm the Mind. Change the World (Penguin, 2015), Michael Acton Smith, ISBN 978-0241201954

See also

References
  1. Gmelich, Krista (February 6, 2019). "Meditation App Backed by Ashton Kutcher Valued at $1 Billion". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  2. "The Unbearable Irony of Meditation Apps". Wired. August 30, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  3. Rosenbloom, Stephanie (January 24, 2017). "Head Trip: Meditation Apps for Travelers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  4. Hamman, Brian (November 14, 2015). "How to Pick a Meditation App". Well. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  5. Eaton, Kit (May 4, 2016). "The Smartphone Way to Inner Calm". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  6. Wiggers, Kyle (October 18, 2022). "Calm launches clinical mental health offering, Calm Health". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  7. "Calm.com, Inc.: Private Company Information -". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  8. Cornell, Camilla (September 2, 2018). "Meet Tamara Levitt, the Toronto woman who soothes millions on the Calm app". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  9. "Meditation app Calm hits a $250M valuation amid an explosion of interest in mindfulness apps". TechCrunch. June 20, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  10. Levy, Ari (March 26, 2018). "This meditation app is now worth $250 million and has Trump-related stress to thank". CNBC.
  11. "Calm.com: Number 19 on the 2018 Inc. 5000". Inc.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  12. Southwick, Ron (November 28, 2022). "Calm moves into healthcare and is excited about its prospects". Chief Healthcare Executive. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  13. Aisha Malik (February 2, 2022). "Calm acquires healthcare technology company Ripple Health Group". Tech Crunch. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  14. Torrence, Rebecca (February 3, 2022). "Meditation app Calm buys Ripple Health Group to build out mental health care offerings". Fierce Healthcare. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  15. Olsen, Emily (October 18, 2022). "Calm announces clinical mental health offering". MobiHealthNews. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  16. "7 Mindfulness Apps To Help You Refocus". Time. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  17. "How Mindfulness Can Help You Sleep Better". The Huffington Post. January 5, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  18. Dredge, Stuart (May 26, 2016). "Five of the best meditation apps". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  19. Pinola, Melanie. "Calm.com Trains You to Meditate in Two to Twenty Minute Sessions". Lifehacker. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  20. Buhr, Sarah (December 2016). "That one time I was tucked in by a startup". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  21. Boran, Marie. "Happy little Zzzzzs with Bob Ross". The Irish Times. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  22. THR Staff (January 24, 2021). "From Harry Styles to Kevin Hart: New Content Studios Are Selling Meditation and Sleep With Stars' Help". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  23. "Harry Styles Says Meditation 'Changed My Life' As He Loans His Voice To Relaxation App Calm". Capital FM. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  24. "Harry Styles Fans Are Living For His Soothing Calm App Story- Here Are The Best Reactions". Capital FM. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  25. Roettgers, Janko (November 21, 2018). "Matthew McConaughey Wants to Make You Fall Asleep, Partners With Calm App". Variety. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  26. "Drift off to sleep with Leona Lewis and SAVE LIVES with (RED)". Calm Blog. November 27, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  27. Heater, Brian (July 19, 2020). "The Calm meditation app is getting its own celebrity-filled HBO Max show". TechCrunch. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  28. Porter, Rick (July 16, 2020). "Calm App to Become HBO Max Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  29. Lewry, Fraser (May 19, 2022). "Alanis Morissette is releasing a meditation album and it all sounds *very* relaxing". Louder Sound. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
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