The Calm app was
downloaded 60 mil-
lion times last year,
with two new users
joining almost every
second. Despite this
rapid growth, the
company is staying
Zen. After noticing in
2016 that many cus-
tomers were listening
to Calm in order to
fall asleep, the com-
pany launched
Sleep Stories: soporif-
ic bedtime tales for
adults read by the
likes of actors Mat-
thew McConaughey
and Stephen Fry and
singer Leona Lewis.
The feature has
become so popular
(last year it had more
than 180 million lis-
tens from its 2 million
subscribers, who
pay $70 a year) that
Calm expanded fur-
ther into the $4.2 tril-
lion global wellness
industry, with self-
improvement classes,
stretching routines,
and relaxing music.
“We want to cover all
aspects of mental fit-
ness,” says cofound-
er and co-CEO
Michael Acton Smith.
In December, the
company partnered
with LeBron James
to launch the “Train
Your Mind” series, in
which the basketball
star shares motiva-
tional wisdom on
such topics as man-
aging emotions and
preparing for a big
game. “You go to the
gym to get your body
in shape,” says Acton
Smith. “You can
use Calm to get your
mind in shape.”FOR
COACHING
YOUR BRAIN34
CalmMOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 202070 FASTCOMPANY.COM ILLUSTRATION BY FRANZISKA BARCZYK MARCH/APRIL 2020