Kickstarter, PBC

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Overview

Kickstarter, PBC is a crowdfunding platform focused on creative projects such as art, music, film, and design. It uses an all-or-nothing funding model where projects must meet their financial goals within a set deadline to receive funds, charging a 5% fee on successful campaigns. Established in 2009, it has supported hundreds of thousands of projects globally, available in 25 countries, and operates as a public benefit corporation committed to social impact.

History

Founded on April 28, 2009, by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler in Brooklyn, New York, after Chen's idea originated in 2002 for pre-funding a concert. The platform launched following years of development and reincorporated as a public benefit corporation in 2015, embedding commitments to not sell user data and donate 5% of after-tax profits to arts and inequality-fighting organizations. It has funded over 107,000 projects raising more than $2 billion by 2016, with notable campaigns like the Pebble smartwatch exceeding $10 million in 2012.

Manufacturing

Kickstarter does not manufacture products; it is a digital platform that enables creators worldwide to crowdfund their own projects, with production handled independently by project creators.

Notable Products

Pebble Smartwatch - Raised over $10 million in 2012, becoming the platform's most-funded project at the time.
Coolest Cooler - Raised nearly $13 million in 2014, one of the highest-funded Kickstarter campaigns.

Reputation

Kickstarter is recognized by creators and backers for enabling innovative creative projects and building communities around them. Professionals value its all-or-nothing model for reducing risk, though it faces criticism for high-profile project failures where backers did not receive promised rewards. It is not BBB accredited, reflecting some unresolved consumer complaints.

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