This post will give you a look into what projects have done very well on Kickstarter in the past week and what campaigns will be wrapping up early in the New Year. All of these projects have launched in the last several days and quickly raised their goals and then some. Whether it’s because of good timing, great ideas, good presentation, or a combination of factors these campaigns have done something right and managed to stir up some excitement. My favorite is #5!
Check out the last Kickstarter roundup here.
#1. PigPen Theatre Co. – A Sophomore Album
Creators: Ryan Melia
Amount Funded: $25,567+
Number of Backers: 289+
Average Pledge per Backer: $88
Duration: Dec 3 2014 – Jan 17 2015 (45 days)
PigPen Theatre Co. returns to Kickstarter for the second time to raise funds for their sophomore album. In January 2012 they raised over $12K for their first album. This second campaign managed to reach its $20K goal in under two days!
They are hoping to raise enough to produce this album, a new animated project, and go on a 30 city concert tour. They’re offering a signed hardcopy of the album for $25 as well as other cool stuff like posters, t-shirts, personalized love letters, Skype hangouts, etc. They have a preview of one of their new songs ‘Weathervane’ on their Kickstarter page that’s pretty awesome.
#2. Foldio2, “BIGGER & SMARTER”
Creators: orange monkie
Amount Funded: $98,114+
Number of Backers: 1,378+
Average Pledge per Backer: $71
Duration: Dec 3 2014 – Jan 17 2015 (45 days)
Foldio2 is another campaign that is not new to Kickstarter. In January 2014 orange monkie raised over $171K with a $10K goal for the first Foldio. The Foldio and Foldio2 are foldable photo studios that make it easy to take studio quality images with your smartphone.
The team is returning to Kickstarter to raise money for a new Foldio that is 200 times larger, giving room for more subjects to photograph! Foldio2 will use a similar design to the original. It’s sturdy, lightweight, and has a handle. The studio sets up in about 10 seconds and comes with 2 LED lights, an adaptor, and you can use bought or custom backgrounds. Another new feature is an app that lets you adjust light and edit photos. Search #foldio on Instagram for pictures users have taken with the first version!
#3. TALUVA: DELUXE VERSION
Creators: Eagle Games
Amount Funded: $49,850+
Number of Backers: 345+
Average Pledge per Backer: $145
Duration: Dec 3 2014 – Jan 2 2015 (30 days)
Taluva is a tactical game for 2 to 4 players that produces new landscapes each time it is played. A description on the Kickstarter page says, “In bygone days, clans were challenged by Mother Nature to use their ingenuity to build villages on volcanic islands in a constantly-changing tropical environment. On Taluva Island players represent those ancient clans and play tiles which extend out and build up the surface of the Island. This constant alteration and expansion of the topography of the Island may allow one clan’s villages to be glorified by adding temples and towers, while simultaneously it might destroy other clans’ villages, postponing or perhaps permanently preventing their quest for glory!”
The deluxe version offers tiles that are twice the size of the previous ones, as well as larger buildings. With the stretch goals they have reached, they will be offering a wooden box made in France to carry the pieces, new maps to add depth to the game, a box and landscape tiles with new artwork, player boards, a wooden carrying hut, and more!
#4. Tempest Watches-The first Affordable Forged Carbon Timepiece
Creators: TempestBen
Amount Funded: £31,227+
Number of Backers: 54+
Average Pledge per Backer: £578
Duration: Dec 2 2014 – Jan 6 2015 (35 days)
This project is raising money for Tempest’s third watch series. This time they are using a new material that they think collectors will love: “Due to its high strength and light weight, Forged Carbon was developed for use in aerospace, exotic racecars and high end sporting equipment…Only recently this high tech material has made its way into luxury watches and we have been obsessed with it. The luxury watch brands that use this material, charge between $10,000-$30,000 USD per watch!”
Using virtually the same manufacturing process, Tempest is offering their watch at Kickstarter prices starting from £555. The watches are waterproof up to 200m and come with a strong water resistant nylon strap.
#5. Nugget | The easiest couch ever
Creators: Nugget Comfort Co.
Amount Funded: $30,323+
Number of Backers: 230+
Average Pledge per Backer: $132
Duration: Dec 2 2014 – Jan 9 2015 (39 days)
You know those tiny foam fold-out couches for kids with different cartoon characters on them? Maybe you used to have one. This is almost the same but for adults too, only bigger and better.
The nugget is a couch that comes with a base, mattress, and two moveable triangular pillows that are perfect for leaning against. The couches are made out of the same material that goes into pool noodles, are easy to clean, lightweight, and durable. Friction hold the pieces together. Nuggets are available in 6 colors: orange, navy, lime, chocolate, pink, and blue. The full set is available at an early bird price of $229, but backers can also receive a blanket, just pillows, or a combination. As a bonus, if you back the project before December 17 your rewards will be shipped in time for Christmas!
Conclusion
With each list of successful Kickstarter campaigns I’m always amazed how quickly certain projects are picked up by the Kickstarter community (and the Internet). Every week new projects are on the top, with new stretch goals to look forward to, and many creative people getting a chance to do what they love and share their passions and talents with us all. This week was no different, with new as well as returning creators having interesting things to offer.
