Wrinkles, a new AI-powered app, transforms how you explore the world by automatically delivering stories about the places around you. Available on both iOS and Android, Wrinkles acts as a hands-free audio tour guide, revealing hidden histories and local tales while you move through the world.
An Immersive Way to Discover Your Environment
The core premise of Wrinkles is to let you engage with your surroundings without being glued to your phone. As you walk, the app detects your location and shares intriguing insights—secrets behind buildings, the history of streets, and other local lore—all through audio. This allows you to experience the richness of a place naturally, as if the environment itself is speaking to you.
Founded by Travel-Driven Entrepreneurs
Wrinkles was founded by David Stemler, a veteran advertising executive, and Ryan Hansan, who previously launched ScratchDC, a meal delivery service, and TasteLab, a shared commercial kitchen supporting independent food businesses. The two have been friends since middle school, with travel as a cornerstone of their bond. They began exploring abroad as teenagers and continue to do so with their families. Many of their business ideas have emerged from long conversations during their journeys, questioning how to improve the travel experience—and Wrinkles is the latest result.
Stemler conceived the idea for Wrinkles during a visit to the British Museum in London, where he used the official app for a self-guided tour. Though well-designed, he found it frustrating.
“I spent the entire visit heads-down, matching numbers on the walls to lists on my phone instead of taking in my surroundings while learning about them,” Stemler told TechCrunch in an email.
Afterward, he called Hansan from the airport and asked, “If the phone in my pocket knows exactly where I am, shouldn’t the places in front of me be able to speak?”
A Growing Global Database
Since its inception, Wrinkles has amassed a global foundation of 1.3 million points of interest across 177 countries, ensuring that wherever you are, there’s likely a story waiting to be uncovered. As we move into 2026, the app continues to expand its reach, leveraging AI to provide increasingly personalized and context-aware narratives.
via TechCrunch