Billboard ads for tech startups in San Francisco are cryptic on purpose

NPR | By Chloe Veltman

Published March 19, 2026 at 4:03 PM EDT

The old-fashioned roadside billboard is hot property these days in San Francisco, with tech startups snapping up ad space. But it's often not clear what they're selling.

Chloe Veltman

Chloe Veltman is a correspondent on NPR's Culture Desk.

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