The last time CrowdCrux published a list of the top 10 most funded Kickstarter projects was in June 2014 – you can check that one out here. Now it’s 2015 and a few new projects have stepped up their game, raising millions of dollars in funding from backers.
Here is a look at the new top 10 (you’ll notice that there are several changes):
1. Pebble Time – Awesome Smartwatch, No Compromises
Created by: Pebble Technology
Amount Funded: $20,338,986
Number of Backers: 78,471
Average Pledge per Backer: $259
Duration: Febuary 24 2015 – March 27 2015 (32 days)
Pebble Technology was number one last time we published a most funded Kickstarter projects list – but for a different project. The original Pebble watch (number 3 on this list) raised over $10 million, whereas this year’s Pebble Time skyrocketed past that and raised twice as much. Pebble Time is a waterproof smartwatch that has up to seven days of battery life!
You can access all of Pebble’s products on Amazon here.
2. COOLEST COOLER: 21st Century Cooler that’s Actually Cooler
Created by: Ryan Grepper
Amount Funded: $13,285,226
Number of Backers: 62,642
Average Pledge per Backer: $212
Duration: July 8 2014 – August 29 2014 (53 days)
The Coolest Cooler was in the number one spot for a while until Pebble Time took over, and is another new project on this list. For those who don’t know, the Coolest Cooler features a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, built-in ice crushing blender, a USB charger and more!
You can get a Coolest Cooler on Amazon here.
3. Pebble: E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android
Created by: Pebble Technology
Amount Funded: $10,266,845
Number of Backers: 68,929
Average Pledge per Backer: $149
Duration: April 11 2012 – May 18 2012 (38 days)
The Pebble E-Paper Watch has moved from number one to number three in the course of a year. Still, it is one of the most successful early Kickstarter campaigns. People love Pebble, and have even said that their watch beats Apple, LG, Sony and Samsung’s smartwatches.
You can find this watch, along with other Pebble watches on Amazon.
4. The World’s Best TRAVEL JACKET with 15 Features || BAUBAX
Created by: BAUBAX LLC
Amount Funded: $9,192,055
Number of Backers: 44,949
Average Pledge per Backer: $204
Duration: July 7 2015 – September 3 2015 (59 days)
At the time of this writing, BAUBAX’s campaign closed just seven days ago, reserving its place as number four on this list with over $9 million raised. No wonder this campaign has been so successful – the BAUBAX Travel Jacket has 15 features that include pretty much everything a traveler could think of, including a neck pillow, earphone holders, hand warming pockets, and more.
You can purchase the jacket on the Baubax website here.
5 Exploding Kittens
Created by: Elan Lee
Amount Funded: $8,782,571
Number of Backers: 219,382
Average Pledge per Backer: $40
Duration: January 20 2015 – February 19 2015 (31 days)
Yes, it’s great and still a little bit surprising – Exploding Kittens (the card game) raised over $8 million on Kickstarter this year. This strange and exciting game has been widely celebrated as the most backed Kickstarter project of all time with over 200,000 backers!
Check out the NSFW version of Exploding Kittens and the original on Amazon.
6. OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console
Created by: OUYA
Amount Funded: $8,596,474
Number of Backers: 63,416
Average Pledge per Backer: $136
Duration: July 10 2012 – August 9 2012 (30 days)
OUYA, the open-sourced gaming console that launched in 2012, was number two on this list just over a year ago. Since then its total funding amount has been surpassed by several projects, bringing it down to number six. This console was made for television use as an affordable option to compete with existing consoles (although it seems as though support died down once the project ended).
You can get an OUYA Console and Controller here on Amazon.
7. Shenmue 3
Created by: Ys Net
Amount Funded: $6,333,295
Number of Backers: 69,320
Average Pledge per Backer: $91
Duration: June 15 2015 – July 17 2015 (32 days)
Shenmue is a video game for PS4 and Windows PC that raised over $6 million from almost 70K backers this year. This game follows the story of Ryo Hazuki, who is “Making his way from Japan to China on a quest to avenge his father, [he] grows from boy to man, encountering new friends, and foes alike, as he completes his Kung-Fu training.” The original RPG was released in 1999.
Check out the continued crowdfunding campaign for Shenmue here.
8. Pono Music – Where Your Soul Rediscovers Music
Created by: the PonoMusic Team
Amount Funded: $6,225,354
Number of Backers: 18,220
Average Pledge per Backer: $342
Duration: March 11 2014 – April 15 2014 (35 days)
Pono Music is another campaign that has made both of the most funded Kickstarter projects lists, although it has dropped from #3 to #8. Pono’s (and Neil Young’s) mission was to provide people with the best listening experience for their favorite digital music.
Amazon has this version of the Pono Music Player here.
9. The Veronica Mars Movie Project
Created by: Rob Thomas
Amount Funded: $5,702,153
Number of Backers: 91,585
Average Pledge per Backer: $62
Duration: March 13 2013 – April 12 2013 (31 days)
The Veronica Mars Movie project has gone from #4 to #9 since it was featured on this list in June 2014, but it is still the highest funded Film & Video project on the platform. Many fans waited years for a Veronica Mars Movie, and were thrilled to be a part of this Kickstarter campaign and the hype it got on social media.
Get the Veronica Mars Movie on Blu-Ray here.
10. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Created by: Koji Igarashi
Amount Funded: $5,545,991
Number of Backers: 64,867
Average Pledge per Backer: $85
Duration: May 11 2015 – June 12 2015 (33 days)
Bloodstained is a multi-platform action/adventure game where you play as “Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes your skin. You must battle your way through a demon-filled castle summoned by Gebel, your old friend whose body has become more crystal than flesh.” This is another new addition to the list, which raised over $5 million in June.
Check out the continued crowdfunding campaign here.
Conclusion
Comparing the top 10 Kickstarter projects from one year to the next (or those on any crowdfunding platform) gives us an interesting look at the way that the industry is growing. Almost half of these projects made the top 10 last year, but the other half consists of new projects that have recently raised the bar for greatness on Kickstarter. If this trend continues, next year could see projects raising close to $30 million!
What project is your favorite?
