Gizmo, a TikTok-like app for vibrating code widgets, offers a new way to create interactive media. A relatively new mobile app from startup Atma Sciences allows anyone to create experiences using text, photos, sound and touch, which are then displayed in a vertical channel, similar to TikTok or Reels. But unlike traditional short video apps, in Gizmo you don’t just watch and scroll, you play.
Depending on the type of “Gizmo” you encounter, you can nudge the screen, swipe, tap, draw, drag, and more to interact with the mini app. These Gizmos aren’t just games, they’re more like digital toys—things that can include interactive puzzles, memes, art, animations, or anything else the creator can think of.
The result is an engaging, playful resource where you can like and comment on tiny creations and even remix existing Gizmos to create your own version if you so desire.
What’s more, you don’t need to know how to code or even vibe code to get started. Instead, you can simply write an AI challenge and explain your idea using natural language.
The app then uses AI coding technology to turn your idea into an interactive experience by generating the code that makes it work. As part of this process, Gizmo also visually renders your idea to ensure that each application functions correctly and runs smoothly. Apps are also screened using artificial intelligence and human moderation to ensure user safety, according to the company’s FAQ.
Gizmo comes from New York-based startup Atma Sciences, co-founded by Rudd Fawcett and Brandon Francis, along with CEO Josh Siegel and CTO Daniel Amitay. The company raised a $5.49 million seed round last year from First Round Capital and others, according to data from PitchBook. On the company’s website (which is also silly and interactive), the team explains that they focus on combining “powerful technology with simple, elegant foundations,” starting with their creative Gizmo app.
None of the company’s founders responded to interview requests when TechCrunch reached out via multiple emails, investor requests and LinkedIn. One investor told us the team isn’t ready to go to press yet. (Sorry!)
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TechCrunch was drawn to Gizmo because of the app’s potential for growth and its unique approach to the vibe coding space (and a rare recommendation from my teenage self). The company envisions a world where anyone can create apps for fun, not just for a purpose like other vibration coding microapp platforms like Anything and others.
Although the Gizmo feed is relatively new, it is not repetitive. It’s full of creative widgets that lead to an experience that feels a bit like a cross between TikTok and the interactive 3D space designer, Rooms. But while Rooms introduced the Lua programming language to those who wanted more advanced control over their creations, Gizmo keeps things quick and simple.
The app is incredibly easy to use. You simply write a prompt and then see how it turns out and then adjust as needed. In one test, the AI quickly coded a mini-quiz, but we had to instruct it to edit the title, which was cut off at the top of the screen.
The resulting creation can be shared to the app feed, messaged to a friend, or sent to social media using a unique URL.
According to market research firm Appfigures, Gizmo has roughly 600,000 installs, about half of which are in the US, after it was introduced with little fanfare less than six months ago. In December alone, approximately 235,000 were downloaded, representing 39% of the total.
Gizmo’s growth from October to December was 312%, with December installs up 50% month-over-month and November installs up 180% over October.
The application is available for both iOS and Android.