{"slug": "the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone", "title": "The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone", "summary": "Mirror founder Brynn Putnam raised $20 million for Board, a startup creating in-person games and social experiences, as a wave of founders build technology designed to reduce screen time. Cyberdeck creators are going viral on TikTok with DIY computers that encourage outdoor activity, signaling a shift toward human-centered tech rather than just AI backlash. The trend reflects genuine consumer gravitation toward products that foster real-world connection, even as Alphabet raises $80 billion for its AI business.", "body_md": "While the AI fundraising machine [keeps breaking its own records](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/alphabets-record-breaking-85b-raise-for-googles-ai-business-is-a-helluva-good-signal/), some founders are building in the other direction.\n\nMirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for [Board](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/board-the-new-game-startup-from-mirror-founder-brynn-putnam-raises-20m-has-already-sold-thousands/), a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. [Cyberdeck creators are going viral](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/cyberdeck-tiktok-trend-reject-big-tech/) crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the [AI-free browser crowd](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/duckduckgo-makes-its-no-ai-search-engine-easier-to-access-as-its-traffic-booms/), this doesn’t just feel like backlash, but also people genuinely gravitating toward things that feel a little more human.\n\nWatch[ Equity](https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/) podcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into the week’s headlines, from the “together tech” wave to what Anthropic’s confidential IPO filing means against the backdrop of Alphabet’s $80 billion AI raise, and whether the money is all flowing back to the big guys anyway.\n\nSubscribe to Equity on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TechCrunch),[ Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780),[ Overcast](https://overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity),[ Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?si=rZDFHv2sQUul_g94iCRgpQ) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on[ X](https://twitter.com/EquityPod) and[ Threads](https://www.threads.net/@equitypod), at @EquityPod.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone", "canonical_source": "https://techcrunch.com/video/the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone/", "published_at": "2026-06-05 17:17:06+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-05 18:03:18.404105+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-startups", "ai-products", "generative-ai", "artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Mirror", "Brynn Putnam", "Board", "TechCrunch", "Equity", "Kirsten Korosec", "Anthony Ha", "Sean O'Kane"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-most-interesting-startups-right-now-want-to-get-you-off-your-phone.jsonld"}}