Board, the startup making a $400 board game console, leans into AI-powered designs after raising another $20m

Hybrid physical and digital game console maker Board has raised another $20m in venture capital amid plans to launch an AI-powered game design platform.

The new funding round, which was led by Union Square Ventures, means Board has now raised $35m in external funding since the touchscreen device was launched in October last year.

That launch was accompanied by a suite of 12 initial games, including a design from veteran board game creator Bruno Faidutti, which make use of physical pieces that interact with the digital board.

The company claims thousands of developers are starting to create games for Board using its software development kit, although it is yet to publicly announce any tie-ups with existing board game publishers or other designers.

Alongside the funding announcement Board said it would unveil an AI platform later this year which will allow users to build their own games using natural language prompts, saying taking a game from idea to playable prototype can be done in less than an hour.

Michael Mignano, general partner at Board investor Union Square Ventures, cited Roblox as a successful example of that model – although that platform has faced repeated criticism in recent years for financially exploiting young developers and putting pressure on children to spend money via its virtual currency.

Mignano said, “I grew up playing Nintendo and Super Nintendo, huddled around my living room CRT television with my sister, parents, friends. As I grew older, and the technology changed, so did my habits, and my gaming turned inward. I transitioned to Warcraft on my PC, and eventually to casual games and The Battle of Polytopia on my iPhone.

“But now I’m looking for reasons to put away my phone and be present with others. I’m attending more live sporting events and concerts than I have in my entire life. And instead of playing a console game by myself on a late Saturday night, my family and I are playing board games and card games around the dining room table.

“It’s not just me: both live events and board games are on pace for record years in 2026, with each market continuing a multi-year climb to all-time highs. This is the shift we keep coming back to at USV: even though we’re still addicted to our algorithms and group chats, people want ways to have fun with their friends in person.”

Board was founded last year by Brynn Putnam, who previously built smart fitness device company Mirror before its $500m acquisition by Lululemon in 2020.

Previous attempts to make a hybrid digital and physical board game console include The Last Gameboard, which raised more than $185m through a Kickstarter campaign in 2020, and followed that up with $6m in venture capital funding.

That business shuttered in 2024, however, with CEO and co-founder Shail Mehta saying the company never managed to overcome the lag and inconsistency in its touchscreen tech to allow for a mass consumer release.

Games in that device’s library included Terraforming Mars, Viticulture, Downforce and Steve Jackson’s 1977 debut game Ogre.