The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone

Loading the player… <p class="wp-block-paragraph">While the AI fundraising machine <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/alphabets-record-breaking-85b-raise-for-googles-ai-business-is-a-helluva-good-signal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">keeps breaking its own records</a>, some founders are building in the other direction. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/board-the-new-game-startup-from-mirror-founder-brynn-putnam-raises-20m-has-already-sold-thousands/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Board</a>, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/cyberdeck-tiktok-trend-reject-big-tech/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cyberdeck creators are going viral</a> crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/duckduckgo-makes-its-no-ai-search-engine-easier-to-access-as-its-traffic-booms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-free browser crowd</a>, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, but also people genuinely gravitating toward things that feel a little more human. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Watch<a href="https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Equity</a> 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. </p>
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