What is Kickstarter? (+ 3 Current Campaigns to Check Out Right Now!)
Kickstarter is the place where passion projects come to life.
Have you ever had an idea or invention you wanted to bring to life, but didn’t have the funds to make it a reality? That’s where Kickstarter comes in.
From clever appliance designs to tech gadgets and products that simplify everyday life, the crowdfunding platform exists to bring innovation dreams to fruition.
How does Kickstarter work?
When I first learned about Kickstarter, it sounded a lot like GoFundMe, but it works a little differently. It’s a place where aspiring entrepreneurs and investors (referred to as backers) connect over the same vested interest in a creative project. The creator brings their idea to the Kickstarter table and the backer helps fund the project so that they can reach their goal.
As I mentioned, it sounds a lot like GoFundMe, but the difference is that with Kickstarter, the innovators only receive the financial support for their project if they meet their predetermined funding goal by the set deadline.
Here’s what the Kickstarter process looks like:
- The artist or inventor sets up a page displaying the plan for their prototype or concept.
- They set a funding goal with a specific deadline to receive the money.
- The creator offers backer rewards based on the amount they pledge to encourage funding (the bigger the pledge, the greater the reward).
- Once the funding goal has been met, the creator is able to carry out their project.
- If the funding goal is not met, creators don’t receive any support, and backers get their pledges back.
Here are 3 crazy cool and active Kickstarter campaigns:
1. Nuzzle: The pillow for every sleeping position
The right pillow is a crucial part of sleep quality and the Nuzzle pillow is designed to make sleep as peaceful as possible. The space-inspired technology makes every sleeping position more comfortable, whether you’re a stomach sleeper or a side sleeper.
With adjustable outer and inner layers and heat-releasing microcapsules, the Nuzzle makes it easy to personalize your sleep comfort so you wake up feeling fresh, without back pain or neck kinks. It’s also designed to maintain fluff over time, unlike other pillows that become flat after a while.
While this campaign still has nearly a month left to run before the deadline, it’s already received over $400,000 in pledges. Backers are pretty confident in this unique pillow design and seem quite eager to see the campaign succeed.
Love the Nuzzle design? Make a $79 pledge to take home your own pillow!
2. xDrill: The first-ever smart drill
The xDrill isn’t your average drill. It’s an advanced design that takes the work out of measuring and leveling with other tools. The laser measurement feature allows you to drill with total accuracy so you don’t end up with a bunch of holes in the wrong places.
When you program the depth control to a specific measurement, it automatically stops so you don’t have to guess at how far you’ve drilled or accidentally go too deep. Hanging my curtains would have been a lot easier if I’d had this nifty tool on hand!
Want the xDrill at a special early bird price? Make your pledge for this Kickstarter campaign over here!
3. ROTO-Q 360: The non-electric rotisserie cooking machine
Love gadgets and appliances that simplify cooking? The ROTO-Q 360 will give you a full meal in just one hour! The self-rotating design cuts down cook time by 30% so you don’t have to flip or stir anything halfway through the cooking process.
This Kickstarter invention also comes with some pretty cool add-on accessories that allow you to cook a variety of different foods like lamb chops, kebabs, fries, and more.
To prepare a meal, you simply fill the bottom compartment with veggies or other food, position the raw rotisserie chicken on the rods, and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Easy peasy!
Since the rotisserie cooker is portable and non-electric, it’s easy to store and won’t take up much room. It’s also dishwasher-safe and lightweight, making the cleaning process simple. With holidays around the corner, this genius kitchen invention could save you a lot of time and effort.
Make your pledge for the ROTO-Q 360 over here!
Kickstarter is full of genius ideas and gadgets that simplify everyday life.
From art and film projects to smart tech tools and board games, Kickstarter houses thousands of innovative campaigns just waiting to reach the masses. You may have already heard of a few Kickstarter successes including the popular family game, Exploding Kittens.
Whether you’re passionate about small businesses and want to help fund a food truck or you find a unique product that you’d love to see in stores, this crowdfunding platform provides the ideal space to help creatives accomplish their goals. It’s proof that small ideas can turn into big things with support from people like you and me!
Speaking of games, head over here to check out all the great deals on popular games we love!
My husband started contributing through here in 2018 when he contributed to a smart duvet concept. Two years later, we finally have a smart duvet that everyone raves over. It takes patience on the side of the person contributing money for sure! But it worked out for us.
We’ve gotten several things through Kickstarter we’re happy with. A similar site is Indiegogo – they fund even if the goal isn’t met, but it’s the same idea as Kickstarter where you pick a “reward”.
I love Kickstarter! I support new and upcoming children’s books through them. What a great way to support others in their craft!
Oh that’s interesting, I never thought about doing a Kickstarter for books. I have written several children’s books that I’ve never published. I just wrote them for my family members. I might think about doing that in the future though
Please do! You will soon be a published author! 💯
Thank-you for supporting Children’s Books!!! I just had my first campaign in June and was fully funded in 3 weeks. 🙂 I now have my book printed, but I don’t have it online for purchase yet. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/go-bananas/go-bananas?ref=user_menu