Board secures $20 million Series A led by Union Square Ventures
Founder Brynn Putnam’s hardware venture, which has distributed devices to tens of thousands of US homes, closes round alongside announcement of Board Studio.
Board, a New York-based startup founded by Brynn Putnam, has closed a $20 million Series A funding round led by Union Square Ventures. The investment marks the first capital deployment for USV General Partner Michael Mignano, who will join the company’s board of directors. The round also attracted participation from prominent angel investors including Biz Stone, Tim Ferriss, and Scott Belsky.
The company, which describes its product as "together tech" designed to facilitate in-person social interaction, has distributed its device to tens of thousands of homes and institutions across all 50 US states. The hardware consists of a 24-inch touchscreen housed in a wood-finish frame, utilising proprietary technology to recognise physical game pieces. According to the company, 85 per cent of customers average 30 or more play sessions per month.
Alongside the funding announcement, Board revealed Board Studio, an AI-powered creation platform scheduled to launch later this year. The platform allows users to build original games using natural language prompts, with the company stating that prototypes can be developed in under an hour. This move signals a strategic expansion into software and artificial intelligence capabilities to complement its existing hardware ecosystem.
The funding follows a previous $15 million raise led by Lerer Hippeau, which had also backed Putnam’s earlier venture, Mirror. Putnam sold the connected fitness startup to Lululemon for $500 million in 2020. She has positioned Board as a counterpoint to the solitary nature of previous digital fitness trends, focusing instead on family and social engagement.
The investment arrives as the consumer technology sector shows signs of recovery, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence. Ben Lerer, managing partner of Lerer Hippeau, noted earlier this year that high-quality founders are returning to the market, citing new possibilities enabled by AI that were not available in previous years.
