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A look at 10 of the most-successful Kickstarter projects of all time

Posted by Tasnim Ahmed

June 21, 2021

Kickstarter is a great platform to garner and get support for budding entrepreneurs, or for inventors to find a launch pad for their product and services without having to go the traditional routes such as angel investors or venture capitalists. The platform gives an open opportunity to any idea that can be fleshed out and get people inspired to invest in them.

Here are a few projects that can be counted as the tip of the Kickstarter dream:

Pebble Time

This was the biggest Kickstarter project of all time when it was launched in 2012. And then they did it again in 2015. At one point, Pebble Time was destined to be the No. 1 brand in smart wearables before it was acquired by Fitbit.

Money required - $500,000

Money raised - $20,338,986

Sponsors - 78,471

Coolest Cooler

How about a product that literally ushers in the good times? This water cooler struck the fancy of many. From speakers to blenders, this cooler had it all, and everyone wanted one. Still in business and getting the parties started.

Money required - $50,000

Money raised - $13,285,226

Sponsors - 62,642

Pebble 2

From the company that rose the ranks from Kickstarter and achieved a cult status. This was one of their final offerings that started on Kickstarter before being taken over by Fitbit.

Money required - $1,000,000

Money raised - $12,779,843

Sponsors - 66,673

Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5

This was a game created by Adam Poots, who can be regarded as a serial Kickstarter. This was his third and most-successful attempt to date and made him a force among game creators on Kickstarter.

Money required - $100,000

Money raised - $12,393,139

Sponsors- 19,264

Travel Tripod by Peak Design

As the name implies, this is a travel tripod that packs down to the diameter of a water bottle and was developed by Peak Design.

Money required - $500,000

Money raised - $12,143,435

Sponsors - 19,077

Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina Animated Special

Critical Role was a tabletop, live streamed role-playing game that was voiced by many well-known celebrities. Once this format reached its end, recognizing its popularity, the creators decided to make it into an animated series, and the Kickstarter project happened afterward.

Money required - $750,000

Money Raised - $11,385,449

Sponsors - 88,887

Pebble-EPaper Watch for Android and iPhone

Another Pebble feature in the list of most-successful Kickstarter projects. This was one of the first Pebble watches released, and for its launch time in 2012 was a trendsetter of sorts. They can be credited with the proof of concept, following which other major technology companies started getting into the act.

Money required - $100,000

Money raised - $10,266,845

Sponsors - 68,929

The world’s best travel jacket

Created by Baubax LLC of Chicago, the Baubax jacket stands as one of the most highly sponsored and funded items of clothing on the Kickstarter platform. It was released in 2015 and as of 2019 has a version 2.0. The jacket has more than 15 features, making it a highly versatile piece for travelers. It can be used as a pillow, windbreaker, rain gear and bomber-styled jacket, all rolled in one.

Money required - $20,000

Money raised - $9,192,055

Sponsors - 44,949

Exploding Kittens

A name that was a great match to one of the highest-grossing Kickstarter game projects. This multiplayer card game that was devised to be played with friends at parties. It is like Uno combined with an apocalyptic end-of-the world game. The card sets have been updated since its launch with many additions, and supplementary packs and a toy line have also been released.

Money required - $10,000

Money raised - $8,782,571

Sponsors - 219,382

Ouya-A Game Console

Ouya was a gaming console intended for the Android TV market and the games that it had to offer. The games would have been free upon purchasing the device. However, the company was sold in 2015 to Razer, which closed down the division and all support for the product in 2019, citing no audience and no developers. Hard to believe that this was one of the second-highest funded projects in 2012 on Kickstarter.

Money required - $950,000

Money raised - $8,596,474

Sponsors - 63,416

Authors

Tasnim Ahmed

Tasnim Ahmed is a content writer at Escalon Business Services who enjoys writing on a multitude of subjects that include finops, peopleops, risk management, entrepreneurship, VC and startup culture. Based in Delhi NCR, she previously contributed to ANI, Qatar Tribune, Marhaba, Havas Worldwide, and curated content for top-notch brands in the PR sphere. On weekends, she loves to explore the city on a motorcycle and binge watch new OTT releases with a plateful of piping hot dumplings!

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