The ‘together tech’ wave might be the most intriguing startup bet of 2026

A wave of startups is pivoting away from AI to build "together tech" — products designed to foster in-person human connection, such as Mirror founder Brynn Putnam's new social gaming company Board and viral DIY computers that encourage outdoor activity. The trend, discussed on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, signals a growing consumer and investor appetite for technology that feels more human, even as AI fundraising continues to break records.

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. Mirror 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. On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/ podcast, 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. Listen to the full episode to hear: - Why ex-Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer raised $250 million for climate tech specifically https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/zigging-when-most-are-zagging-ex-meta-cto-raises-250m-climate-fund/ , at a moment when almost nobody else is - How rocket engine startup Impulse raised $500 million https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/rocket-engine-startup-impulse-raises-500-million-to-hire-people-not-ai/ — and is loudly emphasizing that those funds will be spent on people, not AI A look inside Anthropic’s S-1 https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/anthropic-files-to-go-public/ , and what the team is looking forward to once we can finally compare the AI labs’ financials - What two YouTube directors cracking the box office https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/31/this-weekends-two-biggest-movies-were-both-directed-by-youtubers/ tells us about creator economy power Subscribe 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.