Mirror founder Brynn Putnam to unveil her gaming hardware startup at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Seven years aft unveiling Mirror astatine TechCrunch Disrupt 2018, Brynn Putnam is returning to the signifier wherever it each began. The serial entrepreneur who turned a fittingness conception into a $500 cardinal acquisition by Lululemon volition debut her latest task astatine TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 astatine San Francisco’s Moscone West successful October.

Putnam’s way from that breakthrough Disrupt infinitesimal to contiguous is simply a communicative of precise astute timing. Mirror, the connected fittingness instrumentality that brought boutique workout classes into homes, launched conscionable arsenic the pandemic created unprecedented request for location fittingness solutions. The timing proved truthful prescient that Lululemon acquired the institution for $500 cardinal conscionable 2 years aft its Disrupt debut.

Now Putnam is betting connected different taste displacement — the increasing tendency to disconnect from screens and reconnect with household and friends successful person. Her caller company, inactive operating successful stealth mode, is processing user gaming hardware designed to bring radical face-to-face alternatively than isolate them down idiosyncratic devices.

“We’re astir to participate a aureate property of hardware,” Putnam recently told TechCrunch astatine 1 of its investor-focused StrictlyVC evenings, pointing to the convergence of mature show technologies, affordable components, and AI capabilities that marque caller types of interactive devices possible.

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The caller task represents a displacement successful priorities for Putnam. Where Mirror was astir idiosyncratic show and self-improvement, her latest task focuses connected shared experiences and strengthening relationships. She describes it arsenic utilizing exertion not arsenic the superior acquisition but arsenic an enabler for amended quality connections.

Drawing inspiration from Nintendo’s doctrine of utilizing “withered exertion with lateral thinking” — mature, affordable components combined with innovative experiences — Putnam is pursuing the playbook that made Mirror successful. Rather than pushing technological boundaries, though, she’s focusing connected creating compelling idiosyncratic experiences with proven hardware.

The gaming abstraction represents a earthy adjacent measurement for Putnam, who built her estimation connected knowing however tech tin motivate behaviour change. Her boutique fittingness studios taught her however to make engaging radical experiences, lessons she applied to Mirror’s virtual classes and present to gaming scenarios that promote face-to-face interaction.

Lerer Hippeau, the task steadfast that led Mirror’s $3 cardinal effect round, has already participated successful a highly competitory backing circular for Putnam’s caller company, signaling beardown capitalist assurance successful her quality to place and capitalize connected user trends.

The timing besides aligns with a broader resurgence successful user hardware investing. After years of absorption connected endeavor bundle and AI infrastructure, investors are showing renewed involvement successful consumer-facing hardware that tin leverage AI and mature constituent ecosystems to make caller categories of devices.

Putnam’s quality astatine Disrupt 2025 comes arsenic TechCrunch celebrates its 20th anniversary, and attendees tin beryllium assured we’re bringing unneurotic the biggest names successful tech to stock insights connected the aboriginal of innovation.

Meanwhile, for entrepreneurs and investors watching user tech trends, Putnam’s instrumentality to the Disrupt Stage volition supply a accidental to spot however 1 of the category’s astir palmy caller founders is positioning for the adjacent question of innovation. Don’t miss it. Register present for Disrupt 2025 to spot what Brynn Putnam unveils next, and prevention up to $668 by September 26, 11:59 p.m. PT.

The tech epicenter of the twelvemonth runs October 27-29 astatine San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

For an Investor Pass that includes entree to the StrictlyVC lawsuit astatine Disrupt — positive exclusive perks — click present to larn much and unafraid yours.

Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images