About Wabisabi

Reviving authentic connection in a world overwhelmed by curated feeds, filters, and AI-generated content

The Problem

🤖

AI-Generated Content Challenges

  • AI posts, deepfakes, and synthetic influencers blur reality and spread misinformation
  • Platforms host millions of AI-enhanced posts daily with little transparency or regulation
  • Privacy risks from AI trained on public data without consent, enabling identity theft
📱

Beauty Filters and Mental Health

  • Widespread use of filters that dramatically alter appearance
  • Linked to increased body dissatisfaction, desire for cosmetic procedures, and altered self-image
  • 80% of girls by age 13 edit their images before posting, amplifying pressure to look "perfect"
👤

Fake Accounts and Bot Activity

  • Over 95 million fake Instagram accounts (~10% of users) used for spam, scams, and ad fraud
  • Estimated $500 million lost annually to ad fraud on Instagram alone
  • 68% of users report interactions with bots or deepfakes, fueling distrust in content authenticity

The Solution

Wabisabi strips away the illusions. It is built around one core rule: only what's real, and only in the moment.

📸

No Gallery Uploads

Every piece of content must be captured live—right now—via your camera or microphone. No filters, no edits.

🚫

No AI-Generated Content or Bots

Every face, every voice is human and real. This will eventually be verified with an in-house model that distinguishes between human and recorded voices.

💭

No Performance Pressure

There are no likes or follower counts driving behavior on landing screens—just presence and genuine interaction.

🎙️

Audio-First Storytelling

Inspired by radio, podcasts, and early internet forums, Wabisabi emphasizes thoughtful speech over rapid-fire posts, fostering slower, more meaningful conversations.

✅

Misinformation Resistant

By requiring real-time, unedited media, Wabisabi dramatically reduces the spread of deepfakes and manipulated videos. If it's not captured live, it doesn't exist here.

🌱

De-Polarization Algorithm

An algorithm that prioritizes society's health over profit. We break down echo chambers by showing diverse content you wouldn't normally see. Simple now, but we'll tune it as we learn from users.

Our Mission

Wabisabi's mission is to revive authentic connection in a world overwhelmed by curated feeds, filters, and AI-generated content. Inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi—the beauty of imperfection and authenticity—it offers a platform where only real-time, unedited content from your camera or microphone is shared. No uploads, no filters, no retakes.

Wabisabi values presence over perfection, fostering genuine conversations through audio features inspired by radio and podcasts, and actively fights disinformation by not enabling uploads or AI-generated content. In addition, as we collect data, we'll refine our own AI model to be able to distinguish between human and recorded voices, helping ensure that every account is from a real person.

It's a space for those craving the honest, imperfect, and meaningful connections reminiscent of the early internet—where being real matters more than looking perfect.

侘寂 Wabi-Sabi

A Japanese aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Finding beauty in things that are imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

Join the Waitlist

⚠️ 18+ only. For now. We'll expand to teens safely when ready—your health matters more than our growth.

Who's Building This

Built by Experience

Created by a SF Based Staff Engineer with 8 years at one of YC's best-funded AI companies ever, bringing lived experience through hypergrowth and deep technical expertise on safety, testing, validation, and deployment of safety-critical AI.