Top 10 Most Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns

It’s clear that crowdfunding is the way forward, with a growing number of start-up businesses funding their innovative projects through public donations, but which crowdfunding campaigns have been the most successful?

10. Scanadu Scout

A device that could help save a life, the Scanadu Scout monitors the body’s vital signs, including temperature and heart rate, before sending a full report to the user’s smartphone. It raised $1,664,574 in less than 60 days and was delivered to backers in 2014.

9. Canary Smart Home Security

The Canary Smart Home Security campaign took place in 2013 on the IndieGoGo platform, earning over $1.9 million in 34 days. The security device includes an HD video camera and uses sensors to track motion around your home.

8. 3Doodler

The 3Doodler Pen allows anyone to quickly draw their creation in 3D using heated plastic which solidifies as the user draws. The project received $2,344,134 in 34 days and over 26,000 contributors were rewarded for their support.

7. Oculus Rift

This virtual reality headset took the gaming community by storm and players couldn’t wait to combine it with existing games. The project raised $2,437,429 in 30 days and was later taken over by Facebook in a $2 billion acquisition.

6. Formlabs 3D Printer

3D printing has been around for a while, however Formlabs aim to bring the technology to the masses with their affordable printing device. The campaign was successful, making it one of the first printers to have been developed through crowdfunding. Contributors who donated over $2,299 received a fully functional 3D printer in 2013.

5. The Dash

The Dash offered consumers the world’s only wireless in-eat headphones. While they offer music player capabilities, they also track fitness and workouts, making them different to any other headphones on the market. The brand’s Kickstarter campaign raised $3,390,551 in 50 days.

4. Bitvore

Bitvore is a product aimed at business, helping them to view and analyze large amounts of data. Their campaign was hosted on Fundable and reached $4,500,000 towards the development of their product.

3. Pono Music

Raising over $6 million in 30 days, the Pono music player was a hit with music enthusiasts looking for quality. Its creator, Neil Young, promised to offer high-resolution music as the artist intended it to be heard.

2. Ouya

The gaming community was excited when the Ouya open-source console was announced, with gamers, reviewers and tech enthusiasts hoping to get their hands on the device. Ouya’s Kickstarter campaign managed to raise $8.5 million in 29 days. Happy contributors received their consoles 10 months after the campaign’s launch.

1. Pebble E-Paper Watch

Famous for being Kickstarter’s most successful campaign of all time, the Pebble E-Paper Watch managed to raise $10,266,845 in just 37 days.

Generous contributors were excited at the prospect of owning the innovative smart watch, which was to be marketed at a lower price than it’s competitors.

Despite the high revenue, production was stalled and buyers were left disappointed when their watches didn’t arrive. This attracted some criticism, leading to the ‘Kickstarter is Not a Store’ announcements, reminding consumers that the goal is to fund start-ups to progress in their own time frame. The first Pebble E-Paper watches were delivered ten months after the campaign.