Wrinkles: An app that reveals the hidden stories of the places around you

Wrinkles, a new mobile app for iOS and Android, aims to transform how people experience the world around them by using location data to automatically bring up stories about nearby places. Acting as an AI-powered audio tour guide, the app lets users walk through cities and neighborhoods while listening to narratives about buildings, streets, and local folklore – without constantly glancing at their phones.

The app was founded by David Stemler, a longtime advertising executive, and Ryan Hansan, who previously started the meal delivery service ScratchDC and TasteLab, a shared commercial kitchen for independent food businesses. The two have been friends since middle school and have traveled together since their teenage years, often turning their travel conversations into business ideas. Stemler conceived Wrinkles during a visit to the British Museum in London, where he found the official self-guided tour app frustrating because it required him to look down at the phone constantly. After the trip, he called Hansan from the airport and asked why the places in front of him couldn't speak given that his phone already knew exactly where he was.

The startup has built a global base of 1.3 million Wrinkles – points of interest – across 177 countries. Beyond that foundational content, historians, museums, creators, and brands can add their own stories and experiences to the map. Users can discover stories while moving through the world or explore remotely by searching and browsing. To mimic a traditional tour, users can ask questions during exploration, such as where the water for the Trevi Fountain actually comes from. The app also includes social features, allowing users to follow friends, family, creators, and organizations, and to save, share, and organize Wrinkles into custom maps or guides. Personalization is possible too, with users able to attach photos, videos, recordings, and family memories to specific locations, enabling collaborative family histories.

The founders see Wrinkles as more than a travel app. It is designed for anyone curious about their daily surroundings, from commuters to families at the zoo or botanical garden. As Hansan put it, the common thread is curiosity, not travel. While the team experimented with a freemium model, they remain committed to keeping the app free for users. Revenue primarily comes from the supply side: museums, tourism boards, universities, and hotels use Wrinkles to create location-based experiences without building their own apps. Creators and media partners can produce sponsored guides, and businesses can promote Wrinkles linked to their locations, with transaction links for bookings, reservations, and tickets, giving Wrinkles a share. The long-term vision is for Wrinkles to become a natural part of how people navigate and understand places, whether on a college campus, in their hometown, or while planning a trip.