Brynn Putnam Returns to Consumer Tech With New Stealth Startup

Brynn Putnam, the founder who successfully exited the smart fitness company Mirror to Lululemon for $500 million, is returning to the startup ecosystem. Putnam confirmed she is currently building a new consumer hardware company slated for a public launch in 2025.

The venture firm Lerer Hippeau, which led the seed round for Mirror, has participated in the competitive funding round for Putnam’s latest venture. While the startup remains in stealth mode, Putnam describes the project as a pivot from the fitness-focused mission of her previous company toward the realm of social gaming and face-to-face connection.

A New Direction in Hardware

Unlike Mirror, which prioritized individual performance and self-improvement, Putnam’s new venture aims to mitigate the isolation often caused by digital devices. She noted that the inspiration arrived during a period of personal reflection while raising her children.

“I was really struggling to find quality time with my loved ones the way that I had growing up,” Putnam said. “I started to think about how I could use tech to build better social relationships and connections. It’s a new consumer hardware company, but in the gaming space rather than fitness.”

Putnam emphasized that the product is intended for families and friends, focusing on shared experiences rather than individual screen time. She explicitly noted the company is not targeting the children’s or education sectors specifically, but rather positioning itself as a tool for interaction.

The “Golden Age” of Consumer Hardware

Both Putnam and Ben Lerer, managing partner at Lerer Hippeau, believe the market is entering a fertile period for consumer hardware. According to Putnam, the convergence of mature display technologies and the rapid advancement of AI makes this an ideal moment for innovation.

Putnam’s design philosophy mirrors that of Nintendo, favoring “withered” or mature technology to create unique experiences. “We’re betting on this idea of not another personal computer but rather a new shared device in the home,” she explained. “It was rather commodity hardware. It wasn’t frontier tech. And that’s what we’re doing again now.”

Market Rebound

Lerer views the interest in Putnam’s new company as part of a broader, long-awaited rebound in the consumer tech category. After a difficult few years for the sector, he suggests that AI is providing the necessary catalyst for founders to return to the space.

• Founder-Led Momentum: High-quality founders are returning to consumer tech, encouraged by new technological possibilities.
• Shifting Focus: Investors are showing renewed interest in “application layer” companies that tap into specific human passions, such as travel or automotive hobbies.
• Shared Experiences: There is a growing trend of startups, including the recent work of Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn, focusing on offline connection and reducing screen addiction.

Reflecting on her exit from Mirror, Putnam noted that her brief tenure as a general manager at Lululemon provided essential operational insights. While she found the corporate transition challenging, it served as a bridge to her next act as a founder. “I’m really a builder,” she said.