Meet Gizmo: A TikTok for Interactive, Vibe-Coded Mini Apps

Gizmo is a new mobile app inspired by TikTok, but instead of short videos, it delivers interactive, vibe-coded mini-applications. Built by the startup Atma Sciences, Gizmo allows anyone to create playful digital experiences using text, photos, sound, and touch, all presented in a vertical scrolling feed.

While the interface may resemble TikTok or Instagram Reels, the experience is fundamentally different. On Gizmo, users don’t just watch — they interact. Depending on the type of “Gizmo” that appears in your feed, you might tap, swipe, draw, drag, poke, or otherwise engage with what’s on screen.

These creations aren’t limited to traditional games. Instead, they function more like digital toys — interactive puzzles, memes, animations, experiments, art pieces, or entirely new formats that blend creativity and play. The feed itself feels lively and exploratory, with users able to like, comment on, and even remix Gizmos to create their own variations.

Notably, Gizmo removes the technical barrier to entry. Users don’t need to know how to code — or even what “vibe coding” means — to get started. Creators describe their ideas using natural-language prompts. Gizmo’s AI-powered system then generates the underlying code that brings the experience to life.

As part of this process, the app also visually renders the creation to ensure it functions smoothly and behaves as intended. According to the company’s FAQ, Gizmos are reviewed using a combination of AI systems and human moderation to maintain safety and quality.

Gizmo comes from New York–based Atma Sciences, co-founded by Rudd Fawcett, Brandon Francis, CEO Josh Siegel, and CTO Daniel Amitay. According to PitchBook data, the company raised a $5.49 million seed round last year from First Round Capital and other investors.

On Atma Sciences’ website — which itself features playful and interactive elements — the team describes its mission as blending “powerful technology with simple, elegant foundations,” beginning with Gizmo as a creativity-first platform.

None of the founders were available for interviews when TechCrunch reached out via email, investor contacts, and LinkedIn. One investor said the team isn’t yet ready to engage with the press.

Gizmo stands out for its growth potential and its fresh approach to the vibe-coding space. The app imagines a world where people create apps for fun, not just utility — a contrast to other vibe-coding platforms for micro apps, such as Anything and similar tools.

Despite being relatively new, Gizmo’s feed doesn’t feel repetitive. Instead, it’s filled with a wide range of creative mini-apps, creating an experience that feels like a hybrid of TikTok and Rooms. Unlike Rooms, which introduces creators to the Lua programming language for deeper customisation, Gizmo keeps everything prompt-based and accessible.

Using the app is straightforward: users type a prompt, see the result, and iterate if needed. In one test, the AI quickly produced a mini quiz, though a slight adjustment was required after the title was partially cut off at the top of the screen.

Once complete, a Gizmo can be shared directly to the app’s feed, sent to friends via messaging, or posted to social media using a unique link.

According to market intelligence firm Appfigures, Gizmo has reached approximately 600,000 installs, with around half of those coming from the United States. The app launched quietly less than six months ago, yet saw rapid growth, with 235,000 downloads in December alone, accounting for 39% of its total installs.

From October to December, Gizmo’s installs grew by 312%, with December downloads up 50% month over month and November installs jumping 180% compared to October.

Gizmo is currently available on both iOS and Android, and its early traction suggests growing interest in interactive, AI-powered creative platforms that go beyond passive scrolling.