CardBoard.Live

CardBoard.Live is creating a new online streaming platform for card and board games.

Unlike other platforms, viewers watching live streaming events through CardBoard.Live can interact with each other and purchase items they see being used in the games.

The platform was created by a pair of co-founders with more than 15 years of experience in the software industry, and more than 30 years of competitive gaming experience.

With its platform, CardBoard.Live is targeting the intersection of three growing markets:

The $35 billion live streaming market…

The $10 billion card & board game market…

And the $1.5 billion market for secondary trading cards.

More than 100 million people watch live streaming games every day. The problem is they can’t buy what they see on screen.

Leading streaming platforms including Twitch, YouTube, MLG, and Huya don’t allow viewers to purchase the physical products being used — things like cards, tokens, and game pieces.

As a result, a multi-billion-dollar opportunity is being wasted.

CardBoard.Live, however, is targeting this opportunity with its new way to experience card & board games.

By enabling viewers to chat with each other in real-time, and enabling them to purchase items they see in the games, CardBoard.Live enhances their overall viewing experience, while rewarding retailers and content producers.

To offer these features, the company’s platform uses artificial intelligence technologies including machine learning and image recognition. Image recognition identifies player cards and objects, enabling viewers to purchase them from an online marketplace.

With its platform, CardBoard.Live is able to create three revenue sources:

1. Viewers pay for content subscriptions to access the streaming platform.

2. Brands pay the company to place ads in the marketplace and in the live stream.

3. And retailers pay CardBoard a commission on in-stream sales of items.

CardBoard.Live launched in 2017, and the company developed an alpha version of its platform in Q2 2018.

Prior to launching its beta version in Q3 2018, CardBoard.Live earned 10,000 sign-ups, and the platform now receives 18,000 unique monthly active viewers and 53,000 unique daily views.

Since 2017, the company has received more than $750,000 in funding from investors.

And with funds raised from this round, the company will begin development of its full platform in 2019.

Team Background

Wilson Hunter - Co-Founder & CEO

Wilson brings a wealth of gaming experience to CardBoard.Live.

He is a top-20 player of the "Magic: The Gathering" card game, a game played by more than 20 million people around the world.

He began his career as a salesman for Herff Jones, a company selling educational achievement products such as class rings and yearbooks. While there, he was honored as the company’s “Rookie of the Year” recognizing his outstanding sales achievements.

Wilson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Appalachian State University.

James Hsu - Co-Founder & CTO

In addition to being an avid gamer, James has 15 years of experience in the tech industry, specifically in the areas of software development, project management, and product management.

He spent three years as a program manager for Microsoft, leading a team that was developing the company’s mobile assistant technology “Cortana.”

He was a senior product manager for Amazon and Yahoo!, focusing on developing mobile platforms for both companies.

James earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia.

Co-Investors