Wrinkles brings location-based storytelling to your everyday walks

An emerging app called Wrinkles enables users to learn location-based narratives about their immediate environment through an AI-powered audio guide. Available on iOS and Android, the platform delivers historical context and local anecdotes while you move through the world—no need to keep your gaze fixed on a screen.

The Problem It Solves#

The concept emerged when founder David Stemler, a veteran in advertising, was touring London's British Museum using its official self-guided app. Despite its solid design, he found himself constantly looking down, cross-referencing room numbers with his phone rather than absorbing the visual and historical richness around him. That moment of frustration sparked a conversation with co-founder Ryan Hansan at an airport, where Stemler posed the question: if your phone knows where you are, shouldn't the places themselves tell you their stories?

How It Works#

Wrinkles has assembled a database of 1.3 million points of interest spanning 177 countries. Beyond this base layer, historians, museums, creators, and brands can contribute their own narratives and experiences to specific locations. The app also allows users to pose contextual questions as they learn—for instance, while discovering details about Rome's Trevi Fountain, asking where the water originates.

The platform includes social and personalization features: follow curators and organizations, save or share discoveries, assemble custom guides, and attach family photos, videos, or audio recordings to meaningful places—preserving personal histories tied to childhood homes or milestone locations.

A Broader Vision Than Tourism#

Hansan and Stemler deliberately designed Wrinkles beyond the conventional travel-app use case. Rather than serving as an annual trip companion, they envision it as a tool for everyday discovery—during commutes, zoo visits, campus tours, or learning about one's own city. As Hansan framed it, "The common thread isn't travel—it's curiosity."

Business Model#

The founders have committed to keeping the app free for all users. Revenue flows from the supply side: museums, tourism boards, universities, and hotels pay to create location-specific experiences for visitors. Creators and media partners can build sponsored guides, while businesses benefit from promotional links that allow bookings, reservations, and ticket purchases—with Wrinkles capturing a transaction cut.