Wrinkles Launches AI Audio Guide Network with 1.3 Million Location Points Across 177 Countries

Location-based storytelling startup Wrinkles has launched its AI-driven audio guide platform across iOS and Android with a database of 1.3 million points of interest spanning 177 countries, seeking to replace legacy tour apps with enterprise-funded location intelligence.

Rejecting direct consumer subscription fees after testing freemium models, the platform generates revenue by charging B2B clients—including museums, hospitality groups, tourism boards, and universities—to publish custom spatial experiences on its global network, while taking a commission on connected ticket sales and booking transactions.

Founded by former advertising executive David Stemler and entrepreneur Ryan Hansan, who previously launched commercial culinary incubator TasteLab and meal service ScratchDC, the venture was sparked by Stemler’s frustration while navigating London’s British Museum through a traditional self-guided app.

“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 told TechCrunch in an email. “If the phone in my pocket knows exactly where I am, shouldn’t the places in front of me be able speak?”

The software utilizes geolocation data to trigger automated audio narration as users walk past specific landmarks, supporting interactive voice inquiries in real time. While receiving background details on historic sites like Rome’s Trevi Fountain, users can ask dynamic follow-up questions such as where the monument’s water originates.

Beyond institutional content, third-party historians, creators, and commercial venues can append place-based guides to the map. Individual users can also construct custom social guides or save personal media—including photos, videos, and voice recordings—to specific geographic coordinates to preserve memories linked to locations like childhood homes.

“The common thread isn’t travel—it’s curiosity,” Hansan said. “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.”

The platform’s business model incorporates transaction-linked affiliate links for tour bookings, dining reservations, and event admissions embedded directly into location profiles, positioning the tool as a multi-use spatial network for both daily mobility and global travel.