Meet Wrinkles, an app that uncovers the hidden stories of the places around you

In an era where our digital lives often tether us to our screens, a new mobile application is attempting to flip the script. Wrinkles, now available on both iOS and Android, functions as an AI-driven audio guide designed to transform how we interact with our physical surroundings. Instead of forcing users to stare at a smartphone while navigating a new city, the app encourages them to look up, listen, and engage with the history and lore hidden in plain sight.

A Spark of Curiosity

The venture is the brainchild of longtime friends David Stemler, a veteran advertising executive, and Ryan Hansan, an entrepreneur known for founding the meal delivery service ScratchDC and the commercial kitchen incubator TasteLab. Their partnership, which spans back to their middle school years, has long been defined by a shared passion for travel.

The concept for Wrinkles emerged from a moment of frustration during a visit to the British Museum in London. While utilizing the museum’s official self-guided tour app, Stemler found himself trapped in a cycle of checking his phone rather than absorbing the environment.

“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 explained.

This experience led to a pivotal realization: if modern mobile devices are constantly aware of our precise location, they should be capable of narrating the world around us in real-time. A phone call to Hansan from the airport solidified the mission: to make the places in front of us speak.

Global Scale and Local Depth

At launch, the startup has already established a massive footprint, boasting a database of 1.3 million "Wrinkles"—or points of interest—spanning 177 countries. While the app provides a robust foundational layer of historical data, it is also designed as an open platform. Historians, museums, content creators, and brands are invited to contribute their own curated narratives, ensuring the map remains dynamic and deeply localized.

Key Features of the Wrinkles Experience:

• Interactive Audio Tours: Users can engage in two-way conversations with the app. If a user is learning about the architecture of the Trevi Fountain, they can ask follow-up questions like, "Where does this water actually come from?" to receive immediate, context-aware answers.
• Social Connectivity: The platform allows users to follow friends, family, and professional creators. You can organize your favorite spots into custom maps or share specific discoveries with your network.
• Personalized Archives: Beyond public history, users can attach their own media—including family videos, photos, and voice recordings—to specific locations. This allows families to preserve memories tied to significant spots, such as a childhood home or a site of personal importance.

Beyond the Tourist Trail

While the app is a powerful tool for travelers, Hansan and Stemler emphasize that the core mission of the platform is to foster curiosity in everyday life. Whether it is learning the history of a local botanical garden, understanding the significance of a building on your daily commute, or exploring a zoo with children, the app is intended to be a constant companion.

“The common thread isn’t travel — it’s curiosity,” Hansan noted. “A travel app gets used on one trip a year. Wrinkles gets used on your commute, at the botanical garden, at the zoo with your kids, leaving a permanent legacy for a loved one, and on the trip to Spain.”

A Sustainable Business Model

The founders have committed to keeping the core experience free for the average user, opting for a B2B revenue model instead of a subscription fee. By providing a platform for museums, universities, and tourism boards to host their own location-based content, Wrinkles eliminates the need for these organizations to develop expensive, standalone apps.

The company generates revenue through: 1. Sponsored Content: Media partners and brands can create place-based guides. 2. Affiliate Integration: Businesses can promote their services directly within the app, allowing users to book tours, reserve tables, or purchase tickets, with Wrinkles earning a commission on these transactions.

As the company looks to the future, the goal is to weave the app into the fabric of daily navigation. By bridging the gap between digital information and physical exploration, Wrinkles aims to ensure that no matter where you are, the stories of the world are always within earshot.