This is an incomplete list of the highest-funded crowdfunding projects (including projects which failed to achieve funding).
Rank | Project | Category | Platform | End date | Target | Amount raised | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | EOS | Blockchain | Ethereum | June 1, 2018 | — | $4,100,000,000 (7.12 million ETH) [1] | EOS is a blockchain operating system designed to support commercial decentralized applications. The amount in US dollars is based on an exchange rate of $576 per ether. |
2 | Filecoin | Blockchain | Ethereum | September 7, 2017 [2] [3] | — | $257,000,000[ citation needed ] | Filecoin is a decentralized data storage application. |
3 | Tezos | Blockchain | Independent | July 14, 2017 | — | $232,000,000 [4] | Tezos is a self-governing blockchain. |
4 | U-Haul Investors Club | Business equipment | Independent | Ongoing (started in 2011) | — | $219,597,100 (updated weekly after COB on Tuesdays) [5] | Operated by AMERCO (the parent company of U-Haul) this platform allows investors to invest in U-Haul assets such as trucks, trailers, equipment dollies and occasionally in real estate. [6] Investors purchase "U-Notes" in $100 increments and have maturities from 2-30 years. Investors can invest via individual, business or trust accounts, Coverdell Education Savings accounts, and both traditional and Roth IRA's. Payments are made quarterly in arrears, of which part of the payment is interest and the rest a partial return of principal. It is limited to the U.S. only, interest is not earned on amounts not invested in U-Notes, and there is no trading market (only between club investors) making them highly illiquid; they will need to be held till maturity. [7] |
5 | The DAO | Blockchain | Ethereum | May 28, 2016 [8] | $500K | $160,000,000 (in ETH) [9] | A publicly created and crowdfunded Decentralized Autonomous Organization, built on the Ethereum blockchain, that stored and transmitted Ether and Ethereum-based assets. Funds were held programmatically by design in the cryptocurrency known as Ether, the actual USD amount raised varied in line with the Ether|USD exchange rate at any given moment. Final raised amount was ETH 11.5 million. [9] The amount listed is the conversion value of the raised Ethereum at the campaign end date. |
6 | Sirin Labs (SRN) | Mobile | Ethereum, Bitcoin | December, 2017 | — | $158,000,000 [10] | A blockchain phone that makes it easier to use digital currency. Expected to sell for over $1000 with 25,000 units pre-ordered. [11] |
7 | Bancor | Blockchain | Ethereum | June 12, 2017 | $100M | $153,000,000 (in ETH) [12] | The Bancor protocol is a smart contracts platform built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. |
8 | Polkadot | Blockchain | Ethereum | October 27, 2017 [13] | - | $144,300,000 [14] | Polkadot is a heterogeneous multichain which posits a trustless fully decentralised "federation" of public and private blockchains with trust-free access to each other. |
9 | Star Citizen | Video game | Kickstarter, Independent, Early Access sales (not crowdfund) | Ongoing | $2M | $140,605,596 [15] [16] (total crowdfunded amount until start of Early Access release in 2016, see notes) | Space combat video game being developed by Chris Roberts, designer of Wing Commander . By April 19, 2013, a combined US$9,061,882 had been raised on Kickstarter and Roberts' own website. [17] It was listed as a Guinness World Record in 2014, after having raised more than US$40,680,576 through Roberts' own website. [18] Statements from the developer confirm the game was released in Early Access in 2016. [19] [20] At the end of 2016 the developer had raised $140,604,596 [21] [22] through crowdfunding. Since then, the developer has not stated a clear split of crowdfund based revenues and straight Early Access sales so the total crowdfund figure is unclear. As of 7 December 2024 the developer alleges a total of $764,245,320 has been raised, which includes both crowdfund and Early Access sales. |
10 | Status | Blockchain | Ethereum | June 21, 2017 | $12M | $103,000,000 [23] | |
11 | TenX | Blockchain | Ethereum | June 24, 2017 | $80M | $80,000,000 (245,832 ETH) [24] | TenX offer a debit card system to customers and combine that with an open-source backend that allows TenX to connect any blockchain through hashed timelock contracts (HTLCs). TenX raised 100,000 ETH in a pre-sale and another 145,000 ETH equivalent during their token sale on June 24, 2017.[ citation needed ] |
12 | BANKEX | Blockchain | Ethereum | December 26, 2017 | $50M | $70,600,000[ citation needed ] | BANKEX is a blockchain-based distributed financial technology platform. It allows people and enterprises to create and trade their digital assets represented as smart asset tokens on a blockchain. [25] |
13 | TRON | Blockchain | Ethereum | Sep 2, 2017 | $70M | $70,000,000[ citation needed ] | TRON is a blockchain project that supports the global digital entertainment system. As an open-source project, it supports various types of smart contracts and contract systems such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and EOS. |
14 | The Chosen | TV series | Angel Studios | Ongoing | $13M (Season 1) $10M (Season 2) | $68,559,454 | TV series based on the life of Jesus Christ. The value comprises $10,200,000 for Season 1 [26] [27] and $6,544,120 for Season 2 as of 21 July 2020 [28] |
15 | æternity | Blockchain | Ethereum | Jun 9, 2017 | — | $62,500,000.00 | æternity is a new type of open-source, public, Blockchain-based distributed computing platform that innovates and expands upon existing platforms such as Bitcoin, Ethereum. Real-world data can interface with smart contracts through decentralized oracles. True scalability and trust-less Turing-complete state channels sets æternity apart from all other Blockchain 2.0 projects. Contribution was divided into two phases and closed by 9 June 2017. Total amount raised in Phase 1 + Phase 2 is over $62.5 million (at ETH and BTC valuation on 9 June 2017).[ citation needed ] |
16 | Sono Motors Sion | Solar electric vehicle | Independent | Jan 20, 2020 | 50M € | $59,226,997 (€53.342.998 ) [29] | Sono Motors is a Munich based company that develops an electric vehicle that can be charged by solar cells that are integrated in the vehicle's outer skin. The system is also prepared for vehicle to grid/vehicle applications as well as car and ride sharing. |
17 | MobileGo | Blockchain | Ethereum, Waves platform | May 24, 2017 | — | $53,069,235[ citation needed ] | MobileGo tokens will be used to gamify the mobile platform, and to incentivize gamers for loyalty and participation through rewards. MobileGo tokens will also allow for smart contract technology. MobileGo tokens will allow for the development of a decentralized virtual mobile gamer marketplace, the ability for gamer vs. gamer decentralized match play, and decentralized tournaments run on smart contracts. |
18 | The David Movie | Movie | Independent | Mar 31, 2023 | $60,982,236 | $52,448,609 | An animated movie based on the Biblical character David. Produced by Sunrise and being published by Angel Studios. |
19 | Surprise! Four Secret Novels by Brandon Sanderson | Publishing | Kickstarter BackerKit | Mar 31, 2022 On Kickstarter April 30th 2022 on backerkit | $1M | $45,574,127 | A subscription-based publishing of four "secret" novels by author Brandon Sanderson (i.e., novels which Sanderson wrote without telling anyone that they were in progress). Exceeded Dragonsteel Entertainment's previous Kickstarter in 6 hours. Fastest Kickstarter to hit $4M at the time. Reached $10M in under 10 hours, $20M in under 60 hours, $41,754,153 within hours of ending. Most funded Kickstarter ever and then reached a final of $45,574,127 a month later in Backerkit |
20 | Funding for book company Dragonsteel Entertainment | Publishing | Kickstarter | March 5, 2024 | $1,000,000 | $41,754,153 [30] | Brandon Sanderson's publishing campaign offers backers four new novels as well as monthly subscription boxes of items related to Sanderson’s work. He is best known for creating the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his novels are set. This includes the “Mistborn” series and “The Stormlight Archive.” He also helped finish the final three novels in Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” book series, which was recently turned into television series by Amazon. |
21 | Basic Attention Token | Blockchain | Ethereum | May 31, 2017 | — | $35,000,000[ citation needed ] | Basic Attention Token is a token on the Brave Browser. BAT allows marketers to sell and publishers to buy ads without exposing users to constant tracking. Targeting is handled by the browser. The user gets paid a small amount for viewing ads. The initial coin offering sold out in under 30 seconds.[1] |
22 | Polybius Bank | Blockchain bank | Bitcoin, Ethereum | July 5, 2017 [31] [32] | $25M for bank with Digital Pass. (Ladderized target with flexible plan.) | $31,645,088 (₿12,379.689) = 3,650,521 PLBT | Project: Polybius Bank is a project aimed to create the world's first fully digital bank that is EU-regulated [33] and crowdfunded by its own users through tokens ($PLBT).[ citation needed ] |
23 | CyberMiles | Blockchain, E-commerce | Ethereum, Independent | November 22, 2017 | $30M | $30,000,000 (71,850 ETH) [34] | CyberMiles is an in-development blockchain protocol specifically designed and optimized for e-commerce. |
24 | Solve.Care | Blockchain, Healthcare | Ethereum | Apr 30, 2018[ citation needed ] | $30m [35] | 30,000,000 [35] | Solve.Care is for coordination, administration and payments in the healthcare industry. Patients will be able to make reservations and share relevant data. |
25 | Windpark Fryslân | Windpark | Invesdor | März 29, 2024 | $10,000,000 | $28,780,000 | The Fryslân wind farm project in the Frisian part of the IJsselmeer consists of 89 wind turbines with a capacity of 4.3 megawatts each and is the largest wind farm in an inland waterway in the world. |
26 | Glowforge | Manufacturing hardware | WordPress, Elevato [36] | Oct 24, 2015 | $100,000 | $27,907,995 [37] | Glowforge uses a beam of light the width of a human hair to cut, engrave, and shape designs from a variety of materials. Called a "3D laser printer" by the makers, in actuality it is a laser cutter. |
27 | BitClave | Blockchain | Ethereum | November 29, 2017 | — | $25,547,000 | BitClave is using blockchain to eliminate ad service "middlemen" and create a direct connection between businesses and customers. |
28 | We Build the Wall | Community | GoFundMe | — | $1.0B [38] | $25,425,600 | Construction of the Border barrier at the Mexico–United States border. The idea originated and gained popularity from the political platform of the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign. [39] The project raised over $9 million in only 3 days after its launch. At least three individuals have been convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to this crowdfunding project. |
29 | Aragon | Blockchain | Ethereum | May 17, 2017 | — | $25,000,000 | Aragon is a management platform for decentralized organizations. Aragon implements organizational features such as governance, fundraising, payroll and accounting. Aragon launched a token sale for the Aragon Network, the world's first decentralized jurisdiction. The Aragon Network will provide organizations subscribed to it with services such as a decentralized arbitration system or a code upgradeability mechanism. The token sale closed in about 15 minutes, peaking at a rate of $122,000 per second.[ citation needed ] |
30 | Words of Radiance Leatherbound by Brandon Sanderson | Publishing | BackerKit | Mar 31, 2024 | $2M | $23,756,818 | A 10-year anniversary edition of Book 2 of the Stormlight Archives, with additional publication of Dragonsteel Prime [non-canon work not previously published] and "Secret Project #5" (sequel to the highest Kickstarter ever), an unknown work add-on. Crashed Backerkit and funded at 400% in less than three hours. $10M in 4 hours. |
31 | Pebble Time | Smartwatch | Kickstarter | Mar 27, 2015 | $500K | $20,338,986 | The Pebble Time is the second generation version of the smartwatch called the Pebble. The Pebble itself was one of the highest backed projects on Kickstarter. |
32 | Prison Architect | Video game | Independent, Steam Early Access | Oct 6, 2015 | — | $19,000,000 [40] | Prison construction and management simulation game by Introversion Software. It was made available as a paid alpha pre-order on September 25, 2012 and was one of the initial games in Valve's Steam Early Access program when it was launched. |
33 | Ethereum | Blockchain | Independent | Sep 2, 2014 | — | $18,300,000 [41] | Ethereum is a public blockchain-based distributed computing platform, featuring smart contract functionality and a cryptocurrency, Ether. |
34 | Time for the Planet | Climate change | Independent | Ongoing | 1B € [42] | $17,020,394 (€15.853.128 ) [43] | Time for the Planet is a citizens' movement fighting against global warming. This movement invests in innovations to reduce GHG emissions on a global scale. To have a better chance of being deployed, a successful entrepreneur will be recruited to find the best business plan for this innovation, and money will be invested on this project. Finally, all innovations will be shared in a free license to allow everyone to copy them. |
35 | Power Ledger | Blockchain | Ethereum | October 6, 2017 | — | $17,000,000 = 34,000,000 AUD [44] | POWR token sale is Australia's first initial coin offering. [45] The company raised half of the total funds in three days during its pre-sale.[ citation needed ] |
36 | Sandclock | Blockchain | Ethereum | October 26, 2021 | — | $16,900,000 [46] | Quartz is the governance token of the Sandclock ecosystem. Sandclock is a fintech built on the blockchain and offers users the ability to save, invest, donate and spend. [47] [48] |
37 | Cosmos | Blockchain | Bitcoin, Ethereum | Apr 6, 2017 | $10m [49] | $16,800,000[ citation needed ] | Cosmos aims to create a network of ledgers to solve long-standing problems in the cryptocurrency and blockchain communities. One of the most prominent use cases is decentralized exchanging from one currency to another. Currently this is largely done on centralized exchanges |
38 | TokenCard | Blockchain | Ethereum | May 3, 2017 | — | $16,516,286[ citation needed ] | TokenCard is a depositless Ethereum-based mobile banking platform that aims to integrate the Ethereum Economy into the daily life of consumers globally. |
39 | Waves platform | Blockchain | Independent | May 31, 2016 [50] | — | $16,436,095[ citation needed ] | Waves (stylised WAVES) is a non-permissioned, non-privatized blockchain that intends to deal with banks national currencies. It raised 2 million in 24 hours [50] and has a partnership with the Mycelium wallet. [51] It raised 29,636 bitcoins.[ citation needed ] |
40 | Qtum | Blockchain | hybrid blockchain platform | March 21, 2017. | — | $15,664,829.30 [52] | Qtum [pronounced Quantum] is a hybrid blockchain platform that runs the EVM on bitcoins core allowing smart contracts to exist in a mobile environment. |
41 | Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG | Tabletop role-playing game | Kickstarter | Aug 29, 2024 | $250K | $15,027,399 | The Cosmere RPG is an original tabletop RPG. Developed by Brotherwise Games, initially covering the world of The Stormlight Archive (Roshar), and expanding to Mistborn (Scadrial) and beyond. |
42 | Cofound.it | Blockchain | Ethereum | June 7, 2017 | 56565 ETH ($~14.8M) | $14,700,000 | A distributed VC ecosystem. Cofound.it is a distributed global platform that connects exceptional startups, experts and investors worldwide. It will first be built by the blockchain community for the blockchain community — and then for the whole world.[ citation needed ] |
43 | Coolest Cooler | Computing hardware | Kickstarter | Aug 29, 2014 | $50K | $13,285,226 | Portable 60 quart cooler designed by Ryan Grepper that contains a battery powered rechargeable blender, waterproof Bluetooth speaker, USB charger, cutting board, plates, among other features. [53] |
44 | Flow Hive | Food | Indiegogo | Apr 19, 2015 | $70K | $13,289,097 | Flow Hive is a new type of domesticated bee hive box with a valve, where the beekeeper can extract honey from the hive without disturbing the bees. |
45 | Frosthaven | Board game | Kickstarter | May 1, 2020 | $500K | $12,969,608 | Fantasy cooperative board game and the sequel to Gloomhaven . |
46 | Ubuntu Edge | Computing hardware | Indiegogo | Aug 21, 2013 | $32M | $12,814,196 | The Ubuntu Edge was a proposed "high concept" smartphone announced by Canonical Ltd. on 22 July 2013. |
47 | Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues | Video game | Kickstarter, Independent, Steam Early Access | Ongoing | $1M | $12,658,636 | Richard Garriott returns to the fantasy RPG genre. [54] Of the total amount, $1,919,275 was raised on Kickstarter. |
48 | Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5 | Board game | Kickstarter | January 7, 2017 | — | $12,393,139 | A massive cooperative board game about survival in a nightmare-horror world. Original Kickstarter campaign that raised $2,049,721 was surpassed in 2 hours. [55] |
49 | Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina Animated Special | Animated series | Kickstarter | April 19, 2019 | $750K [56] | $11,385,449 [57] | Animated special based on the web series Critical Role which was funded in one hour [56] and then was expanded to a ten episodes animated series after reaching stretch goals. [57] When the campaign closed, it was one of the most quickly funded in Kickstarter history, and was the most funded Kickstarter for TV and film projects. [58] [59] In November 2019, Amazon Prime Video announced that they had acquired the streaming rights to The Legend of Vox Machina, and had commissioned 14 additional episodes (two additional episodes for season 1 and a second season of 12 episodes). [60] |
50 | BLUETTI AC500 & B300S - Home Backup Power Station | Energy and Green Tech | Indiegogo | Oct 30, 2022 | $10,000 [61] | $11,515,988 | Bluetti AC500 & B300S was officially launched on Indiegogo on September 2. Until the end of the project on October 29, the total raised amount reached $11.7 million, and the number of people participating in the project was 4,632. [62] [63] |
51 | ICONOMI Digital Assets Management platform | Other | Ethereum | Sep 29, 2016 | 2000 BTC ($~1.2M) | $10,682,516.42 | ICONOMI Digital Assets Management platform enables simple access to a variety of digital assets and combined Digital Asset Arrays.[ citation needed ] |
52 | BauBax | Other | Kickstarter, Indiegogo | September 2015 | $20K | $10,271,965[ citation needed ] | The campaign was launched on July 7, 2015. [64] By August 2015, BauBax had raised $3.7 million and was the most funded clothing project in Kickstarter history. [65] By September 11, 2015, it had raised $9.7 million. [66] The Travel Jacket comes with 15 unique features including a built-in Neck Pillow, Eye Mask, Gloves, Earphone Holders, Drink Pocket and Tech Pockets of all sizes. Available in four styles: hoodie/sweatshirt, fleece lined bomber, wrinkle free blazer with removable hoodie, and a windbreaker. |
53 | Pebble | Smartwatch | Kickstarter | May 18, 2012 | $100K | $10,266,845 | E-Paper smartwatch. Third highest funded project on Kickstarter.Shipping to backers began on 23 Jan 2013. |
54 | Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game | Tabletop role-playing game | Kickstarter | Sep 3, 2021 | $50K | $9,535,317 | A tabletop role-playing game developed by Magpie Games, based on the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The game is built on the Powered by the Apocalypse framework. |
55 | Modular Gaming Table | Furniture | Kickstarter | Oct 10, 2020 | $1M | $8,808,136 | A customizable table designed for tabletop and role-playing gamers designed by Taunton, Massachusetts-based woodworking company and gaming accessory manufacturer Wyrmwood Gaming. The table is a convertible platform allowing it to be used as either a coffee table or a dining table with removable toppers and magnetic rails along the edge that can hold different table accessories meant for gaming. The project hit its target goal of $1,000,000 in just ten minutes and raised $4,000,000 in its first day. [67] [68] It was the second-most funded tabletop gaming project on Kickstarter for the year 2020. [69] As of February 21, 2021, it is the tenth most-successfully funded project on Kickstarter. |
56 | Exploding Kittens | Board game | Kickstarter | Feb 19, 2015 | $10K [70] | $8,782,571 [71] | Card game featuring exploding kittens, designed by Elan Lee, Matthew Inman, and Shane Small. [72] The project hit its primary goal in only 8 minutes, exceeded $100,000 (10x its goal) in less than one hour, $1,000,000 (100x its goal) in less than 8 hours, and $2,000,000 (200x its goal) in just over 24 hours. By January 28, 2015, it passed 107,000 backers, making it the most backed Kickstarter to date. [72] |
57 | Golem | Blockchain | Ethereum, Independent | Nov 11, 2016 | $8.6M | $8,600,000[ citation needed ] | Distributed, open sourced, supercomputer built on the Ethereum network. Made up of a global sharing economy network of computers that 'rent' out their computing power. Project hit its goal in 29 minutes. |
58 | Ouya | Video game console | Kickstarter | Aug 9, 2012 | $950K | $8,596,474 [73] | Android-based video game console. Industrial design by Yves Béhar. Highest funded video game project entirely funded on Kickstarter. Development units began shipping in March 2013. Officially released in June 2013. |
59 | Gut Weißenhaus | Other | Companisto | Mar 27, 2015 | $2M | $8,148,450 [74] | Real estate |
60 | Snapmaker 2.0: Modular 3-in-1 3D Printers | 3D printing | Kickstarter | Jun 6, 2019 | $10K | $7,850,866 [75] | Snapmaker 2.0 is a modular 3-in-1 3D printer, which has 3D printing, laser engraving, cutting, and CNC carving function. The project reached its funding goal in less than 1 minute. It also became the fastest ever project to raise $1m on Kickstarter, at just 7 minutes. It eventually raised over 7.8M USD, making it the most funded Technology project in Kickstarter history. |
61 | Lands of Evershade | Board game | Gamefound | Dec 5, 2024 | $50,000 | $7,415,330.35 [76] | Hybrid RPG/board game that merges storytelling with a dice-based RPG system and fast tactical combat. Fully funded in 1 minute and 2 seconds, with 85 different "stretch goals" unlocked through the duration of the campaign. |
62 | Shenmue III | Video game | Kickstarter, Independent | Sep 1, 2018 | $2M | $7,063,329 [77] | $6,333,295 was raised on Kickstarter, making Shenmue III the highest-funded video game project in Kickstarter history. |
63 | The Wingfeather Saga | TV series | Angel Studios, Kickstarter | Ongoing | $10.1M | $6,979,041 | TV series based on the children's book series of the same name. The value comprises $265,880 of $110,000 goal for a pilot episode, [78] $4,997,000 of $5,000,000 max for Season 1 [79] [80] and $1,715,738 of $5,000,000 max for Season 2. [81] |
64 | The Way of Kings , Leatherbound Edition | Publishing | Kickstarter | Aug 7, 2020 | $250,000 | $6,788,517 [82] | The response to this was significantly higher than Dragonsteel Entertainment anticipated. The "stretch goals" had to be adjusted multiple times, and then more were added after everything was reached in the first 6 hours. It was fully funded in 3 minutes, and reached over a million dollars within 10. At the time the campaign ended, it was the most funded Kickstarter campaign in the Publishing category, and the 14th over all of Kickstarter history. |
65 | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Series | Kickstarter | May 7, 2021 | $5.5M | $6,518,912 [83] | Raised to fund season 13 of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the creation of the Gizmoplex, an online platform to show these new episodes as well as to show reruns of past episodes and host live events. |
66 | FirstBlood Crowdsale | Software | Ethereum | Sep 26, 2016 | $5,500,000 | $6,267,767.32 [84] | FirstBlood is the first decentralized app, built on top of Ethereum, that allows eSports enthusiasts to compete in their favorite games through a decentralized, automated platform. The FirstBlood Token ("1SŦ"), sold during its crowdsale, is a utility token that can be used on FirstBlood's decentralized software. The campaign raised over $5 million in less than five minutes. [85] |
67 | Pono Music | Computing hardware | Kickstarter | Apr 15, 2014 | $800K | $6,225,354 [86] | Digital music player using the FLAC audio file format under development by musician Neil Young and his company Pono Music. |
68 | Mayday PAC | Other | Independent | Jul 4, 2014 | $6M | $6,132,554[ citation needed ] | Super PAC founded by Lawrence Lessig with the purpose of pushing for a United States Congress dedicated to reforming campaign finance laws by 2016. The crowdfunding round took place in two cycles. The first $1M goal was started on May 1, and was reached on May 13, [87] and the second, $5M goal was started on June 4 and was reached on July 4, at 9:30 pm EST - 9 hours short of the deadline of 6 am, July 5, EST (or midnight in Hawaii.) [88] After the crowdfunding deadline, Mayday PAC raised an additional $4M from large donors. As of May 22, 2016, Mayday PAC is the largest crowdfunding campaign for non-profit purposes.[ citation needed ] |
69 | Lucyd | Blockchain, Wearable technology | Ethereum | Feb 28, 2019 | $6m | $6,100,000 [89] | Community-driven augmented reality project. Has since launched an eshop for advanced eyewear. Developing blockchain apps for augmented reality. |
70 | Fidget Cube | Other | Kickstarter | Oct 19, 2016 [90] | $15K [90] | $6,038,945 [90] | A desk toy designed to help users focus. [91] |
71 | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Series | Kickstarter | Dec 11, 2015 | $2M | $5,764,229 | $5,764,229 from 48,270 backers, with an additional $600,000 in backer add-ons to film season 11 of Mystery Science Theater 3000 |
72 | Veronica Mars | Movie | Kickstarter | Apr 13, 2013 | $2M | $5,702,153 [92] | Feature-length film continuation of the Veronica Mars television series. |
73 | Lisk | Software | Bitcoin, Independent | Mar 21, 2016 | — | $5,700,000[ citation needed ] | Lisk is a crypto-currency and decentralized application platform. As a crypto-currency it provides a decentralized payment system and digital money network. The Lisk decentralized application platform allows the deployment, distribution and monetisation of decentralized applications and custom blockchains (sidechains) onto the Lisk blockchain. |
74 | Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Video game | Kickstarter | Jun 12, 2015 | $500,000 | $5,545,991 [93] | Metroidvania video game, by former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. Succeeded Torment: Tides of Numenera as the highest funded Kickstarter video game, was succeeded by Shenmue III in July 2015. [93] |
75 | DigixDAO Crowdsale[ citation needed ] | Blockchain | Ethereum | Mar 30, 2016 | $500K | $5,500,000[ third-party source needed ] | DigixDAO crowdsale offered DGD tokens. The sale concluded in a mere 12 hours as the maximum was reached. |
76 | The Grid | Software | Independent | Ongoing | $70K | $5,489,376[ citation needed ] | Website builder that uses Artificial intelligence algorithms to design and build websites based on content. [94] |
77 | Project Bring Back Reading Rainbow for Every Child, Everywhere | Movie | Kickstarter | Jul 2, 2014 | $1M | $5,408,916 [95] | Make the iPad version of Reading Rainbow available on the web, other mobile devices, game consoles, and set-top boxes. In addition, create a classroom version and provide subscriptions for up to 7,500 disadvantaged classrooms for free. |
78 | Chronicles of Elyria | Video game | Kickstarter, Independent | Mar 24, 2020 | $900k | $6,192,308 | MMORPG survival game. [96] |
79 | Augur | Blockchain | Ethereum, Independent | October 1, 2015 | none | $5,133,000[ third-party source needed ] | An open-source, decentralized prediction market built using Blockchain technology. |
80 | VitaDAO | Science | Ethereum, Independent | June 23, 2021 | $2,000,000 | $5,100,000 [97] | VitaDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that funds and supports longevity science research. |
81 | Restore King Chapel Now. Every Day & Dollar Counts | Other | Indiegogo | May 22, 2015 | $8M [98] | $5,048,213 [98] | Restore Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, the only religious building named after Dr. King located at Morehouse College. |
82 | An Hour of Code for Every Student | Other | Indiegogo | Dec 15, 2014 [99] | $5M | $5,024,281 [99] | Every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science at Code.org.[ citation needed ] |
83 | Mastercoin | Software | Bitcoin, Independent | Sep 1, 2013 | — | $5,000,000 [100] | Mastercoin is a digital currency and communications protocol built on the Bitcoin block chain. It is one of several efforts to enable complex financial functions in a cryptocurrency. |
Bountysource was a crowdsourcing website for open source bounties and since 2012 also for crowdfunding. Users could pledge money for tasks using micropayment services that open-source software developers can pick up and solve to earn the money. It also allowed large-scale fundraising for big improvements on the project. It integrated with GitHub using its bug tracker to check if the problem is resolved and connect the resolution with GitHub's pull request system to identify the patch. When the users agree that they are satisfied and the project maintainer merged the proposed changes to the source-code, Bountysource would transfer the money acting as a trustee during the whole process.
Kickstarter, PBC is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of February 2023, Kickstarter has received US$7 billion in pledges from 21.7 million backers to fund 233,626 projects, such as films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, board games, technology, publishing, and food-related projects.
PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist payment platforms as ArtistShare, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, RocketHub and Sellaband.
Indiegogo is an American crowdfunding website founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding. Indiegogo allows people to solicit funds for an idea, charity, or start-up business. Indiegogo charges a 5% fee on contributions. This charge is in addition to Stripe credit card processing charges of 2,9% + $0.30 per transaction. Fifteen million people visit the site each month.
Circle is a peer-to-peer payments technology company that now manages stablecoin USDC, a cryptocurrency the value of which is pegged to the U.S. dollar. It was founded by Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville in October 2013. Circle is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. USDC, the second largest stablecoin worldwide, is designed to hold at or near a stable price of $1. The majority of its stablecoin collateral is held in short-term U.S. government securities.
Digital Asset is a financial technology company founded in 2014 by Sunil Hirani, Don R. Wilson, Yuval Rooz, Shaul Kfir and Eric Saraniecki. It builds products based on distributed ledger technology (DLT) for banks and other financial institutions.
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over US$34 billion was raised worldwide by crowdfunding.
Consensys is a private blockchain software technology company founded by Joseph Lubin and based in Fort Worth.
The DAO was a digital decentralized autonomous organization and a form of investor-directed venture capital fund. After launching in April 2016 via a token sale, it became one of the largest crowdfunding campaigns in history, but it ceased activity after much of its funds were taken in a hack in June 2016.
Crowd Supply is a crowdfunding platform based in Portland, Oregon. The platform has claimed "over twice the success rate of Kickstarter and Indiegogo", and partners with creators who use it, providing mentorship resembling a business incubator.
An initial coin offering (ICO) or initial currency offering is a type of funding using cryptocurrencies. It is often a form of crowdfunding, although a private ICO which does not seek public investment is also possible. In an ICO, a quantity of cryptocurrency is sold in the form of "tokens" ("coins") to speculators or investors, in exchange for legal tender or other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ether. The tokens are promoted as future functional units of currency if or when the ICO's funding goal is met and the project successfully launches.
Jason Fernandes is Web3 entrepreneur, Investor, and technology columnist hailing from Goa. Fernandes is the co-founder of AdLunam Inc.a Web3 investment platform. As a teenager, Fernandes founded the internet portal ZeoCities.com, the non-profit LDKids.org and wrote for CHIP Magazine. Later, while studying at the University of Texas, Austin, Fernandes co-invented the Internet-based DVR, InstantTV, and was part of the founding team at PerceptiveI. Fernandes was a monthly technology columnist for GlobeAsia Magazine, Indonesia for 5 years producing over 60 columns over this period. Fernandes is often quoted in Web3 publications and has spoken at TEDx events.
EOS.IO is a blockchain protocol based on the cryptocurrency EOS. The smart contract platform claims to eliminate transaction fees and also conduct millions of transactions per second. It was developed by the private company Block.one and launched in 2017. The platform was later released as open-source software.
Neo is a blockchain-based cryptocurrency and application platform used to run smart contracts and decentralized applications. The project, originally named Antshares, was founded in 2014 by Da HongFei and Erik Zhang and rebranded as Neo in 2017. In 2017 and 2018, the cryptocurrency maintained some success in the Chinese market despite the recently-enacted prohibition on cryptocurrency in that country.
Energi Mine is a United Kingdom based blockchain technology company, that develops products in the energy management sector. It uses deep learning artificial intelligence models to trade and manage energy. In February 2018, Energi Mine completed an initial coin offering (ICO).
The Aventus is an open standard event ticketing platform based on blockchain. The protocol was first outlined by Annika Monari and Alan Vey in a 2016 white paper. The two met in 2015 while studying for their master's degrees at Imperial College, London. They are co-founders and directors of the Aventus Protocol Foundation which oversees Aventus Systems, the only company running the protocol.
Beesfund is a Polish equity crowdfunding platform based in Warsaw, Poland. Managed by its eponymous company founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Arkadiusz Regiec, it is one of the first crowdfunding platforms in Poland, and Central and Eastern Europe. As of May 2020, 74 public offerings (issuances) were carried out on the platform, for a total amount of PLN 47M, collected by over 48,000 registered investors.
Christian Catalini is a co-creator of Diem, the Chief Economist of the Diem Association, and the Theodore T. Miller Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Securitize, Inc is a financial technology company that provides businesses a platform to raise capital from institutional, accredited or retail investors (crowdfunding) with shares issued in the form of digital tokens recorded on the blockchain, including for Oddity and digital custodian Exodus, which used the Securitize platform to raise $75 million in 2021. Securitize also operates a broker-dealer marketplace on which tokenized shares in private companies are traded. Securitize has approximately 3,000 clients with a combined 1.2 million investors and is regulated by both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA. In June 2022, Securitize became authorized by the Spanish government to enter its securities test environment.
BackerKit is a crowdfunding platform focusing on creative projects with an emphasis on tabletop games and fantasy books. On ethical grounds, BackerKit bans projects containing art produced by Generative AI.