Blending board games and video games, Board is a new social gaming device that brings families and friends together around a 24-inch smart screen with AI-driven personalization.
From Fitness to Play: Brynn Putnam’s Next Big Move
After making waves with Mirror, the connected fitness startup she sold to Lululemon for $500 million, Brynn Putnam is back—this time with a bold new idea in the world of gaming and shared experiences.
Unveiled at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, her new startup introduces Board: a tech-powered tabletop console that fuses the nostalgia of board games with the interactivity of modern gaming.
What Is Board?
Board is a 24-inch interactive screen framed in wood, built for group gameplay. It supports touch, gesture, and object recognition, allowing four to six players to gather around and play—just like a traditional board game night, but upgraded for the digital age.
- Price: $500
- Includes: 12 launch games, 50 physical game pieces
- Design: Sleek wood-finish frame, family-room friendly
Putnam’s goal is to reimagine what “game night” looks like, creating a communal, tech-infused experience that appeals to a wide audience—from kids to grandparents.
AI-Powered Personalization and Creation
More than just a game console, Board aims to evolve into a platform for creativity, powered by artificial intelligence.
Putnam outlined several AI-driven features on the roadmap:
- Dynamic, adaptive storylines that shift based on player input
- Voice and vision inputs for intuitive, accessible gameplay
- Translation tools and voice-to-text, making it inclusive for global households
- User-generated content, allowing anyone to create and publish games
“Over time, AI really makes anyone able to create on Board,” said Putnam. “It becomes a place for creative self-expression.”
Built for Developers, Not Just Players
While the launch titles were created by an in-house game studio in collaboration with external developers, the vision doesn’t stop there.
Board will soon open to third-party developers through a dedicated app store, inviting creators to build new experiences for the platform.
This approach positions Board not just as a product, but as a developer-friendly ecosystem—mirroring what platforms like the iPad or Nintendo Switch offer, but with a shared tabletop focus.
Backed by Big Names in Venture Capital
Putnam’s reputation and execution with Mirror have attracted serious investor confidence.
- $15 million raised to date
- Backed by Lerer Hippeau (also early backers of Mirror), First Round, and Box Group
- Currently raising a Series A to support growth, partnerships, and developer outreach
Why Gaming?
When asked why she pivoted from fitness to gaming, Putnam offered a simple but powerful answer:
“Play is just universal… It’s this language that connects us.”
Unlike fitness, which can be polarizing or difficult to sustain, gaming taps into joy, competition, collaboration, and creativity—making it a more inclusive and sustainable space for innovation.
A New Category in Home Entertainment
Board is entering a growing market of hybrid gaming experiences, but it’s carving out a unique niche:
- Screen-based, but shared and social
- Tech-enhanced, but tactile and physical
- Designed for connection, not isolation
It’s a device that brings people together, not pushes them apart—blurring the lines between traditional game nights, video games, and interactive storytelling.
