Outernet Wants to Turn Your Saved Social Media Posts Into Real-World Adventures

Two founders known for creating playful real-world experiences are bringing that philosophy into a new startup designed to help people spend less time collecting ideas online and more time acting on them offline. Outernet, created by Danielle Egan and Athena Leong, aims to turn saved social media posts into a personal guide for exploring events, restaurants, attractions and activities in the real world.

The name Outernet reflects the founders’ vision of using the internet as a tool to encourage people to go outside. Instead of letting interesting posts disappear into saved folders on TikTok or Instagram, the app stores them in a dedicated interface that organises ideas into places to visit and things to do.

According to the founders, the goal is to remove the friction between discovering something online and actually experiencing it. Egan, who previously worked in product business operations at LinkedIn, said she has long been interested in creating projects that encourage people to spend more time together offline through unexpected and playful experiences.

That passion has led the pair to organise a citywide scavenger hunt across San Francisco, transform a viral prank into a temporary restaurant in New York City and launch a “sit club,” where people gather with chairs to relax and socialise.

Saving posts becomes an activity planner

Outernet builds on a familiar habit. Social media users frequently save videos featuring restaurants, local events, bars or attractions with the intention of visiting them later, only to forget about them as more content fills their feeds.

The app allows users to share posts directly from TikTok, Instagram and other apps into Outernet. Users can also paste links from websites or social media platforms or upload photos, such as pictures of flyers advertising local events.

Artificial intelligence then extracts relevant information, including dates, times, locations and event details. Time-sensitive activities are organised into a chronological feed, while destinations and other experiences are grouped into separate sections. Users can also add events to Apple Calendar or Google Calendar or browse saved locations through an in-app map.

Outernet also sends reminders encouraging users to visit the places or attend the events they have saved. After completing an activity, users can mark it as finished, creating a digital passport that tracks their real-world experiences.

Plans include gamification

The founders are exploring ways to expand that passport concept by allowing users to share completed adventures with friends and celebrate milestones through digital stamps and other gamification features.

The idea for the startup grew out of “Pursuit,” a month-long scavenger hunt the founders launched in San Francisco three years ago. The latest edition attracted participation from roughly 1.5% of the city’s population.

Through conversations with participants, Egan and Leong realised people were not necessarily interested in scavenger hunts themselves. Instead, many wanted a reason to leave home, discover new places and connect with others in person.

Leong, whose background combines computer science and child development before moving into adventure game design, said the experience revealed growing demand for real-world exploration. Egan added that community organisers often create engaging local events but struggle to reach audiences, and she believes Outernet can help bridge that gap.

Growing user base and investor interest

Outernet has been available for approximately two months and is already profitable through its premium subscription, which costs $6.99 per month or $39.99 annually and allows users to save more items each day. The startup says it has attracted around 18,000 users while continuing to experiment with new product ideas.

The founders are also holding informal discussions with potential investors, though they say any future funding partners will need to align with the company’s focus on creativity and playfulness.

Outernet is currently available as an invite-only iOS app, while an Android version is accepting users through a waitlist.