Forget the AI arms race. The most interesting startups right now are going rogue—and they're actually trying to get you to stop scrolling.
Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised funding for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and actual social experiences. Revolutionary concept in 2026, apparently.
But Putnam isn't alone in this quiet rebellion. Cyberdeck creators—DIY computer enthusiasts crafting whimsical, lo-fi machines—are going absolutely viral on the internet by literally encouraging users to touch grass. Yes, you read that right: the internet is obsessed with not being on the internet.
This isn't just backlash against the algorithm gods. Insiders and venture capitalists are genuinely drawn to startups that feel more human. More tactile. Less algorithmic doom-scroll.
Meanwhile, the AI fundraising machine is still breaking its own records. Alphabet just flexed an $80 billion raise, and Anthropic is quietly filing for an IPO. But even as the money keeps flooding into AI, a growing wave of founders are building in the opposite direction—what some are calling the "together tech" and "slow tech" movements.
According to TechCrunch's Equity podcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O'Kane, this shift signals something deeper: founders and investors are starting to ask if all those AI billions are actually flowing back to the same Big Tech players, or if there's real innovation happening elsewhere.
The question now? Can Brynn Putnam and the anti-phone startup wave actually compete with the AI tsunami, or is this just a blip before the next hype cycle takes over?
