This week’s round-up of rapidly funded Kickstarter projects has a lot of new, different, and cool things to offer. All of these projects have surpassed their funding goals approximately a week after launching and many are sure to raise much more (and have some exciting surprises in store) before their campaigns are over. Aside from their success on Kickstarter, each of these projects has used innovative design to bring something new and exciting to their backers. My favorites are #2 and #5!
Check out last week’s rapidly funded projects here.
#1. SlimFold Wallet Soft Shell: 70mph Crash-tested Durability
Creators: Dave Zuverink
Amount Funded: $81,649
Number of Backers: 1,829
Average Pledge per Backer: $44
Duration: Sep 12th – Oct 12th (30 days)
The SlimFold Wallet Soft Shell is Dave Zuverink’s second successfully funded wallet on Kickstarter. The first, SlimFold MICRO, raised 108,186 in backer funding. These wallets are slim but can hold international currency, 12 to 14 cards, are durable (made from material used for motorcycle wear, and crash tested on pavement during design and testing!), waterproof, washable, environmentally friendly, and stain resistant. Judging by this project’s early success and feedback from previous backers, Zuverink will most likely surpass their last funding amount by quite a bit with this new wallet.
#2. AMAZING REFLECTIVE BACKPACK by Rickshaw Bagworks
Creators: Mark Dwight
Amount Funded: $40,652
Number of Backers: 290
Average Pledge per Backer: $142
Duration: Sep 11th – Oct 24th (43 days)
This Kickstarter project was started by Rickshaw Bagworks’ so that they could afford to put into production a very cool kind of material made out of tweed and reflective yarn. Since the yarn itself is expensive and difficult to weave, they are turning to Kickstarter for help to get the funding needed to manufacture it.
In return for pledges, backers can receive a variety of items with this reflective fabric, including: large and small smart phone cases, hip packs, messenger bags, laptop cases, and backpacks. These items are available with solid and striped reflective material and have tested red, blue, green, and purple fabrics which will be made available to backers if funding permits. As the project’s video shows these backpacks are great for bikers and anyone looking to stand out!
#3. King Down
Creators: Saar Shai
Amount Funded: $116,811
Number of Backers: 1,599
Average Pledge per Backer: $72
Duration: Sep 10th – Oct 12th (32 days)
The makers of this game describe it as the prequel to chess, “King Down is an epic strategy game for 2-4 players, where each player allies themselves with one King, hand picks their army and goes into battle by competing to take down the other Kings and cross the board to victory.” This board game uses cards and miniatures made in a collaboration with sculptors, graphic designers, and award winning visual effects artists. There are many different backer levels to choose from, some including game extensions and new character cards to name a few things.
#4. Feng Shui 2: Action Movie Roleplaying Game by Robin D. Laws
Creators: Atlas Games
Amount Funded: $72,194
Number of Backers: 1,227
Average Pledge per Backer: $60
Duration: Sep 17th – Oct 17th (30 days)
Feng Shui 2 is an action movie roleplaying game that follows the original that was released in 1996. This excerpt from the Kickstarter page gives just a glimpse of what this game has to offer: “Eunuch sorcerers. Slick conspirators. Cyborg apes. Control freak monks. Armed with the secrets of Feng Shui, all aim to conquer the past, present, and future. Only you have the guts, guns, and flying feet to stop them!”
Pledges of $10 or more are given a working draft of the rulebook before the final product is released. They have lots of cool add-ons for backers and have already unlocked all but one of their stretch goals in just three days since their launch – unlocking things like new character archetypes.
#5. FIRE & BONE 2: Tiny, Digitally Captured, Metal Animal Skulls
Creators: Fire & Bone
Amount Funded: $47,353
Number of Backers: 766
Average Pledge per Backer: $61
Duration: Sep 10th – Oct 15th (35 days)
Fire & Bone has come to Kickstarter to release FIRE & BONE 2, their second collection of miniature animal skull replicas. The first line of these miniatures was successfully funded on Kickstarter in January, and raised a total of $151,877. These products are made using 3D scanning, 3D printing technology, and traditional lost wax casting. They are precisely detailed and available as pendants, on collector bases, and Fire & Bone is offering their first set of cuff links! The replicas include a real dinosaur replica, a monkey, birds, a wolf, and more. The replicas are offered in white or yellow bronze and sterling silver.
Conclusion
It’s crazy to watch week to week as different projects take Kickstarter over by storm. I’m always amazed at the creativity that can be found across different project categories. All of these projects are so successful because their creators are hard-working, passionate, and have embraced the Kickstarter model by focusing on creating interesting, high-quality products and incentives that their fans will love.
Leave any questions or comments below! What project is your favorite?
