GeekWire Landline phones in 2025? How this tech vet is helping kids connect
Dec 20, 2025
Chet Kittleson, co-founder and CEO of Tin Can, is a visionary tech entrepreneur creating Wi-Fi enabled landline phones for kids, eschewing screens and AI. He shares the inspiration behind his startup from a school pickup moment, and details his family’s unique approach to technology. Chet discusses the benefits of voice calls for emotional bonding, the success of a recent $12M seed round, and plans for scaling his product. With an emphasis on fostering connections, he reveals how limiting screens transformed his family road trips.
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Simple, Controlled Kids Calling
- Tin Can is a Wi‑Fi landline phone for kids that connects via a parent app and a private network to approved contacts only.
- The device prioritizes simple, familiar form and modern parental controls over feature bloat.
Price For Accessibility And Safety
- Offer a low‑cost hardware option and a clear subscription for external calling to match different family needs.
- Include essentials like 911 access even on free plans to provide safety and trust.
Childhood Landline Sparked The Idea
- Chet remembers using his childhood landline as a social network to organize play and build agency.
- That memory framed Tin Can as a way to restore kids' ability to call friends independently.