Kickstarter
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is a prominent crowdfunding platform, operated by the American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City. It has played a pivotal role in the crowdfunding movement, allowing creators from around the globe to bring their projects to life through the financial support of backers.
Origin and Growth
Kickstarter was launched on April 28, 2009, by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler. It quickly gained recognition, with The New York Times dubbing it "the people's NEA," while Time recognized it among the "Best Inventions of 2010" and "Best Websites of 2011." The platform initially raised $10 million from various backers, including venture firm Union Square Ventures and angel investors such as Jack Dorsey, Zach Klein, and Caterina Fake.
Global Expansion
Kickstarter's reach has extended beyond the United States. It opened for projects in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2012, and later expanded to Canada on September 9, 2013; Australia and New Zealand on November 13, 2013; the Netherlands on April 28, 2014; and several other countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Japan, and more.
Impact and Notable Projects
As of April 2025, Kickstarter has facilitated over $8.71 billion in pledges, funding over 277,302 projects. These projects span a variety of categories, including films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, board games, technology, publishing, and food-related ventures.
One of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns was the self-publishing endeavor by author Brandon Sanderson, which became the most successful in the platform's history. Another notable campaign was for the PonoPlayer, an audio player created by Neil Young's company, PonoMusic.
Cultural Influence
Kickstarter has not only been a funding platform but has also influenced the cultural and creative landscape. It has enabled projects like the video game Ashes of Creation, which met its funding goal of $750,000 in under 12 hours, and the ZX Spectrum Next, a modern reboot of the classic ZX Spectrum computer.