Mirror founder’s new startup Board secures $20M Series A

Board, a New York-based startup building “together tech”—defined as tech designed to bring people physically into the same room—has closed a $20 million Series A funding round. A Series A is a stage of venture capital financing. The investment was led by Union Square Ventures, marking the first deal for the firm’s new General Partner, Michael Mignano, who will join Board’s board of directors. The round also drew participation from angel investors Biz Stone, Tim Ferriss, and Scott Belsky. The funding arrives roughly eight months after founder Brynn Putnam publicly unveiled the company last October. Putnam previously founded the connected fitness startup Mirror, which she sold to Lululemon in 2020 for $500 million.

Putnam’s transition from Mirror to Board reflects a shift in her personal and professional focus. She has noted that while Mirror was centered on individual performance and self-improvement, her subsequent work has focused more on family, friends, and personal relationships.

The startup’s core product is a $399 device featuring a 24-inch touchscreen. The company reports that the hardware is currently in tens of thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, and restaurants across all 50 states. Customer engagement is high, with 85% of customers averaging 30 or more play sessions per month. Later this year, Board plans to launch Board Studio, an AI-powered creation platform designed to let users build original games using natural language prompts.

Prior to this round, Board had raised $15 million in funding led by venture firm Lerer Hippeau. Lerer Hippeau also previously led Mirror’s $3 million seed round before its acquisition. The new investment in Board arrives as consumer tech shows signs of bouncing back, a trend driven in part by new artificial intelligence capabilities. Ben Lerer, managing partner of Lerer Hippeau, noted the shifting sentiment in the sector. “I’m more excited about consumer than I’ve been in a long time,” Lerer said. “We’re seeing a very high-quality group of founders saying, ‘Now’s the time to get back in the pool.’ There are things that are possible today that weren’t possible six months ago or a year ago, and the slope is steep.”

Why it matters

The funding round for Board, a startup building “together tech” hardware, signals a potential resurgence in investor interest for consumer tech, driven by new AI capabilities.