Gizmo, a TikTok-like app for vibe-coded mini-apps, offers a new way to create interactive media. A new mobile app from startup Atma Sciences allows anyone to create experiences using text, images, sound, and touch, which are then displayed in a live feed, similar to TikTok or Reels. But unlike short video apps, you don’t just watch and scroll in Gizmo – you play.
Depending on the type of “Gizmo” you’re dealing with, you can lift the screen, swipe, tap, draw, drag, and more to interact with the little app. These gizmos aren’t just games but more like digital toys — things that can include interactive puzzles, memes, art, animation, and anything else a creator can dream up.
The result is an engaging, playful feed, where you can like and comment on tiny creations and re-combine existing gizmos to create your own version, if you choose.
Plus, you don’t need to know how to code or hide code to get started. Instead, you can simply type a command for the AI to explain your idea using natural language.
The app then uses AI coding technology to turn your idea into an interactive object by generating code that makes it work. As part of this process, Gizmo will also give you visual feedback to ensure that each application is working properly and efficiently. Apps are also tested using AI and human moderation to ensure user safety, the company’s FAQ notes.
Gizmo comes from a New York-based startup called Atma Sciences, co-founded by Rudd Fawcett and Brandon Francis, along with CEO Josh Siegel and CTO Daniel Amitay. The company last year raised $5.49 million in seed funding from First Round Capital and others, according to data from PitchBook. On the company’s website (which is silly and interactive), the team explains that their focus is on combining “powerful technology with simple, elegant basics,” starting with their invention, the Gizmo.
None of the company’s founders responded to interview requests when TechCrunch reached out via multiple emails, requests to investors, and LinkedIn. We were told by another investor that the team is not yet ready to make a press. (Sorry!)
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TechCrunch was drawn to Gizmo because of the app’s growth potential and its unique approach to the vibe-coding space (and a rare recommendation from my youth). The company envisions a world where anyone can create apps for fun, not just for purpose, like other vibe-coding app platforms for small apps, like anything, and more.
Despite being new, Gizmo’s feed is not duplicated. It’s packed with the creativity of small apps, resulting in an experience that feels like a cross between TikTok and the 3D-space designer, Rooms. But while Rooms introduced the Lua programming language to those who wanted more advanced controls in their creations, Gizmo keeps things fast and simple.
The app is incredibly easy to use. You simply type in your information and see how it turns out, then adjust as needed. In one test, the AI quickly wrote small questions, but we had to teach it to edit the subject, which was cut off at the top of the screen.
The resulting creation can be shared on the app server, sent a message to a friend, or posted on social media using a unique URL.
According to data from market intelligence firm Appfigures, Gizmo has nearly 600,000 installations, nearly half from the US, after launching to little fanfare less than six months ago. About 235,000 of its downloads came in December alone, representing 39% of its total.
Gizmo’s growth from October to December was 312%, December was up 50% month-on-month and November was up 180% from October.
The app is available for both iOS and Android.
