Jun 24, 2026 · 1h 9m
Hardware founders drive innovation from tabletop gaming to hypersonic flight
Why the Future of Video Games is Moving Back to the Dinner Table
This episode explores how modern hardware startups are overcoming manufacturing and capital challenges to build highly ambitious physical products.
- 1Board integrates physical game pieces with a digital touchscreen using conductive patterns and embedded AI.
- 2Hermeus is developing the Chimera engine to enable sustained Mach 5 flight for autonomous military aircraft.
- 3Both startups leverage creative financing and capital efficiency to overcome traditional hardware manufacturing barriers.
Don't miss
AJ Piplica explains how the Chimera engine combines a turbojet and a ramjet with a pre-cooler to keep the engine from melting at Mach 3.
The brief
Hardware innovation is taking two wildly different paths, from reimagining family game night at the dinner table to pioneering autonomous hypersonic flight for national defense.
Brynn Putnam is blending physical pieces with a 24-inch digital touchscreen at Board, using embedded AI and conductive patterns instead of expensive electronics inside the toys.
At the same time, AJ Piplica is leading Hermeus to build hypersonic aircraft like Dark Horse, utilizing a unique dual-engine design to solve the thermal challenges of Mach 5 flight.
Both founders are proving that building physical products requires extreme capital efficiency, whether navigating consumer toy licensing or securing defense contracts.
Featuring
Hermeus
Union Square Ventures
Artificial IntelligenceListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.