Crowdfunding is all about raising funds to bring creative projects to life, with Kickstarter being one of the most visited and used crowdfunding platforms out there.
Kickstarter has reportedly received more than $1.9 billion, from 9.4 million backers, to fund more than 250,000 projects. With Kickstarter projects offering a host of tangible rewards to backers, CBR looked at the most funded tech projects on the platform to date.
Pono Music
18,220 backers raised $6,225,354
Taking its name from the Hawaiian word for righteous, Pono aims to stage a revolution in music listening. With support from recording companies and artists, PonoPlayer gives music lovers the original masters of songs. The company states that the beauty of Pono is that you can ‘finally feel the master in all its glory, in its native resolution, CD quality or higher, the way the artist made it, exactly.’ Designed to save music from compressed formats, Pono’s complete digital ecosystem aims to revitalize the vinyl experience in the digital realm.
The digital ecosystem comprises the PonoMusic Store and the PonoPlayer device which the company claims delivers music which is ‘the next best thing to hearing it in the recording studio.’
Founded by rock legend Neil Young, PonoMusic has become the fastest growing high-definition music store since it’s introduction in January of this year. With over 2 million tracks of high quality music ranging in resolution from 44.1kHz/16-bit to 192kHz/24-bit.
The Micro
11,855 backers raised $3,401,361
Earning the title of the largest 3D printer kickstarter ever, the Micro claims to be the first truly consumer 3D printer. Among its key features, the printer has a micro motion sensor chip which gives intelligent positioning feedback for precision. Sturdy and lightweight thanks to its carbon fibre rod frame, the printer boasts an aerospace grade ceramic heater for rapid and precise heating.
Plug & play installation allows for easy setup, while free 3D printing software is also included for both Windows and Mac. At the time of writing, the Micro retailed at $349 making the printer affordable for those who want to print for fun, or for those who want to print for business.
SCiO
12,958 backers raised $2,762,571
Advertised as a pocket molecular sensor for all, the SCiO allows users to scan materials or physical objects and then sends relevant information to said user’s smartphone. With scio meaning ‘to have knowledge of’, the SCiO is based on the proven near-IR spectroscopy method. The physical basis for this material analysis method is that each type of molecule vibrates in its own unique way, and these vibrations interact with light to create a unique optical signature.
Incorporating a light source and a spectrometer, the SCiO is a non-intrusive, no-touch optical sensor with applications ranging from food and nutrition, to plants and pharmaceuticals. As stated by the company, the possibilities of SCiO applications are endless. For example in the future you can use SCiO to measure properties of cosmetics, clothes, flora, soil, jewels and precious stones, leather, rubber, oils, plastics, and even your pet!
Sense
19,349 backers raised $2,410,741
Perfect for those who hate their morning alarm, Sense is billed as a smarter approach to waking up. Priced at $129, Sense is a smart sleep tracker which monitors your bedroom and night-time movements to analyse your sleep. The sensor provides a Timeline and Summary which gives a complete overview of your sleep cycle, showing disturbances, how long it took to fall asleep, how many hours of sleep achieved, and how well you slept – along with environmental conditions such as light and humidity which may have affected the quality of sleep.
Sense’s Smart Alarm uses the sleep analysis to wake you up at the optimal time, with 15 alarm tones which are designed to gently wake you up when you are sleeping in the lightest phase of sleep.
3Doodler
26,457 backers raised $2,344,134
3Doodler is a 3D printing pen created by WobbleWorks LLC. Offering to lift your imagination off the page, the 3Doodler requires no technical knowledge, software or computers. Using ABS or PLA plastic (the material used by many 3D printers), the 3Doodler has over 80 colours of plastic to choose. Plastric strands are inserted into the pen, which then heats up the plastic to a point where you are able to click a button to draw, sketch and build. Prices start at $99.
