Cboard
Cboard is an open-source augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) platform that helps children and adults with speech and language impairments communicate via symbol boards, text-to-speech, and AI features, distributed globally across web and mobile in 46 languages under a freemium model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCórdoba, Argentina
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Cboard does
Cboard is an open-source augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) platform that enables children and adults with speech and language impairments to communicate using symbol-based communication boards, text input, and text-to-speech synthesis. The core product is a cross-platform web application (app.cboard.io) with native distribution across iOS, Google Play, Microsoft Store, and Amazon Appstore, supporting 46 languages and offering offline mode on Google Chrome. The platform is built around customizable pictogram boards, live text-to-speech, scanning access for users with motor limitations, and a growing suite of AI-assisted features including AI phrase improvement, AI-generated board creation via the Cbuilder add-on, and personalized voice cloning through a partnership with ElevenLabs. A next-generation product, FluidMind, is in alpha testing with Team Gleason and Esteban Bullrich Foundation.
The company operates a freemium business model: the open-source core product is free, and a Pro subscription priced at $8 per month or $79 per year unlocks advanced features such as online neural voices, board publishing, usage analytics, ad-free experience, and OpenBoard Format export. Go-to-market combines self-serve product-led growth (app store discovery, web signup) with event-driven institutional sales (ASHA, ATIA, DPGA, Global Disability Summit) and a community-led motion leveraging open-source contributors and user testimonials. Institutional revenue is pursued through government digital-infrastructure programs and NGO partnerships, with Plan Ceibal in Uruguay as the flagship national deployment, and additional pilots in Timor-Leste and the Western Balkans supported by UNICEF and Microsoft. To date, disclosed external capital consists of a 2017 UNICEF Innovation Fund grant, a 2022 Microsoft AI for Accessibility grant, and a $10,000 pitch prize won at the 2Gether-International contest in May 2024.
Cboard was co-founded in 2017 by CEO Martín Bedouret (an electronic engineer diagnosed with ALS in 2016) and Technical Advisor Shay Cojocaru, operating under the legal entity COMUNICACION AUMENTATIVA CHILE SpA with operational headquarters in Córdoba, Argentina and a distributed team of approximately seven core members across Argentina, Israel, Luxembourg, Spain, and Brazil. The company is a verified Digital Public Good and a UNICEF Learning Cabinet selectee (under 5% acceptance).
Cboard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cboard
- Legal name
- COMUNICACION AUMENTATIVA CHILE SpA
- Website
- https://cboard.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cboard is an open-source augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) platform that helps children and adults with speech and language impairments communicate via symbol boards, text-to-speech, and AI features, distributed globally across web and mobile in 46 languages under a freemium model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cboard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistive Communication Software
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech (EDAFAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training (EDAKAIAB), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) Evaluation, Implementation & Training (School-Based) (EDAKAEAI), Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF)
Keywords
Where Cboard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Córdoba
- HQ country
- Argentina
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cboard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Pro Subscription (Monthly & Annual): Freemium model where the free plan provides basic AAC features and the Pro subscription ($8/month or $79/year) unlocks premium features including online neural voices, board publishing, analytics, ad-free experience, phrase sharing, and voice recording for tiles.
- Freemium (Core Platform): The open-source app is free for all users, generating indirect value through community growth, grants, and institutional adoption. Funded in part by grants from UNICEF and Microsoft.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Plan — $0/Forever |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro Monthly Plan — $8/Month |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro Yearly Plan — $79/Year |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cboard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cboard is an open-source augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) web and mobile application that enables children and adults with speech and language impairments to communicate through symbol-based boards, pictograms, and text-to-speech. The platform supports 46+ languages, offers AI-powered phrase improvement and an AI board builder (Cbuilder), and is available across web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Amazon Fire platforms with a freemium Pro subscription tier.
Product overview
Cboard offers a suite of communication tools centered on its core open-source Cboard AAC application—a web and mobile-based augmentative and alternative communication platform that uses symbols, text-to-speech, and AI to enable communication for individuals with speech and language impairments. The product portfolio includes Cbuilder, an AI-powered board builder for creating customized AAC boards; FluidMind, a next-generation AI communication tool in development; and the Pro subscription tier unlocking advanced features. Partnerships with ElevenLabs for voice cloning and support for OpenBoard Format enhance interoperability. Available in 46 languages across web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Amazon platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cbuilder: AI-powered board builder designed to streamline the creation of personalized AAC boards. Uses advanced AI to generate customized board drafts in minutes, significantly reducing time and effort required for AAC board development.
- FluidMind
Products and services
- Cboard AAC Open-source augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) web and mobile application for children and adults with speech and language impairments. Facilitates communication using symbol-based boards, pictograms, and text-to-speech across 46+ languages, available on web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Amazon platforms.
- Cbuilder AI-powered board builder that streamlines creation of personalized AAC boards. Uses generative AI to create customized board drafts based on user prompts about context (classroom routines, snack time, etc.), significantly reducing time required for speech therapists and educators to build boards. Exports seamlessly to Cboard.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cboard is used as public digital infrastructure in Uruguay through Plan Ceibal, reaching all students who need AAC tools in national schools.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cboard
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cboard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability7 records
Feature8 records
Cboard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, flagship, major and pilot.
- 2Gether-InternationalminorHosted a pitch contest in Washington D.C. where Cboard won $10,000. 2Gether-International is a DC-based accelerator focused on disability-inclusive technology. Cboard was recognized at this event as a promising assistive technology startup.
- MicrosoftcoreCboard received a Microsoft AI for Accessibility grant (2022) to add AI features to the app. Microsoft is also a logo partner displayed on the Cboard homepage. Voice synthesis with ElevenLabs was presented at the Microsoft-hosted session at the Global Disability Summit 2025.
- ElevenLabscoreCboard partners with ElevenLabs to provide free voice cloning services for individuals with speech impairments. Users can create personalized synthetic voices from old recordings, which are then integrated into Cboard communication boards. This addresses voice preservation for people with progressive conditions like ALS.
- Plan Ceibal (Uruguay)flagshipCboard is integrated as public digital infrastructure for accessibility in Uruguayan schools through Plan Ceibal. This represents the most advanced national-level deployment of Cboard, serving as a model for other countries seeking to adopt open-source AAC tools.
- Team Gleason FoundationcoreSigned agreement in April 2025 to launch user testing of FluidMind alpha version. Patients supported by Team Gleason are among the first to test the next-generation AI-powered communication tool, providing invaluable feedback for product refinement.
- Esteban Bullrich FoundationcoreCollaboration agreement signed in April 2025 to conduct user testing of FluidMind during May and June 2025. Individuals living with speech and motor impairments test the alpha version and provide real-world feedback to help refine the product.
- Learning Cabinet (UNICEF)majorCboard selected for the UNICEF-backed Learning Cabinet global platform, which connects policymakers, donors, and education leaders with trusted EdTech solutions. Fewer than 5% of applicants are accepted.
- Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA)majorCboard is a verified Digital Public Good listed in the DPG Registry. Participated in the 4th Annual DPGA Meeting 2025 in Brasilia, sharing impact data and exploring government adoption with representatives from multiple countries.
- Western Balkans (UNICEF pilot)pilotUNICEF-supported pilot in the Western Balkans enabled regional collaboration among therapists and educators. Regional sharing of resources and practices confirmed that an open-source AAC tool can scale quickly when localized with proper facilitation.
- Timor-Leste (UNICEF/Microsoft Pilot)pilotFour-month pilot (September–December 2023) in collaboration with UNICEF Timor-Leste and Microsoft. Pilots in three schools demonstrated how Cboard can overcome linguistic and cultural barriers, adapting to local Tetum and Portuguese while delivering educator training.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves14 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cboard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PicSeePal: PicSeePal is an AAC device/hardware partner that donated 60 devices for Cboard's UNICEF Timor-Leste pilot, indicating it operates in the same low-cost AAC hardware-and-software category and could be a complementary competitor in assistive-tech distribution.
- Symbotalk: Symbotalk is a multilingual AAC app mentioned in Cboard's own user testimonials as an alternative, indicating direct competition for non-verbal users who want free symbol-based communication.
- CoughDrop: CoughDrop is a subscription-based, cross-platform AAC app aimed at schools, therapists, and families with cloud-synced boards — overlapping Cboard's PLG and Pro subscription model and same user segments.
- LetMeTalk: LetMeTalk is a free, Android-first AAC app referenced by Cboard users as a comparable alternative, competing on symbol libraries, multilingual support, and free access for non-verbal individuals.
- Avaz AAC: Avaz is an AAC app developed in India with strong multilingual support across South Asian languages, directly comparable to Cboard in feature set and target population, and competing for the same emerging-market and school-deploying buyers.
- PRC-Saltillo (TouchChat): PRC-Saltillo's TouchChat is one of the most widely used AAC apps in special education and speech therapy settings, mirroring Cboard's symbol/text-to-speech model with extensive clinical and school distribution in the US.
- AssistiveWare (Proloquo, Proloquo2Go): AssistiveWare is a leading commercial AAC app developer whose Proloquo2Go and Proloquo products are direct competitors to Cboard on iOS, serving the same autism, cerebral palsy, and ALS populations with symbol- and text-based communication boards.
Broad incumbents
- Tobii Dynavox: Tobii Dynavox is the dominant player in AAC, combining speech-generating devices, AAC software (TD Snap), and eye-tracking hardware used by people with complex communication needs — overlapping with Cboard's mission but with deeper clinical, device, and insurance-reimbursement infrastructure.
Others
- ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs is Cboard's voice-cloning technology partner and a generative-AI adjacency in speech synthesis, relevant as the upstream capability powering Cboard's personalized-voice offering for ALS and progressive condition users.
- OpenBoard (open standard): OpenBoard Format (OBF) is the open standard Cboard uses to import/export boards, making OBF tooling and the broader OpenBoard ecosystem adjacent partners and indirect competitors that shape interoperability in the AAC category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cboard social profiles
Digital presenceCboard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cboard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Cboard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cboard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cboard
What does Cboard do?
Cboard is an open-source augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) web and mobile application that enables children and adults with speech and language impairments to communicate through symbol-based boards, pictograms, and text-to-speech. The platform supports 46+ languages, offers AI-powered phrase improvement and an AI board builder (Cbuilder), and is available across web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Amazon Fire platforms with a freemium Pro subscription tier.
Is Cboard a public or private company?
Cboard is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cboard founded?
Cboard was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cboard based?
Cboard is headquartered in Córdoba, Argentina, in the Latin America region.
How does Cboard make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Pro Subscription (Monthly & Annual) is the primary driver. The others are freemium (Core Platform).
Who are Cboard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PicSeePal, Symbotalk, CoughDrop, LetMeTalk, Avaz AAC, PRC-Saltillo (TouchChat) and AssistiveWare (Proloquo, Proloquo2Go). Tobii Dynavox is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are ElevenLabs and OpenBoard (open standard).
Does Cboard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cboard.
What industry is Cboard in?
Cboard's product category is Assistive Communication Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAKAB, AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech, with a secondary code of EDAKAIAB, AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training. Its NAICS code is 62412 and its SIC code is 7372.