Kickstarter
Kickstarter launched on the 28th of April 2009, by Perry Chen and Yancey Strickler. The company began operations from a small office at 155 Rivington Street in Manhattan. Their initial funding round raised $10 million from backers including Union Square Ventures and angel investors like Jack Dorsey. Time magazine named Kickstarter one of the Best Inventions of 2010 shortly after its launch. The platform expanded globally over the next decade with specific dates for each new country opening. The United Kingdom joined on the 31st of October 2012 followed by Canada on the 9th of September 2013. Australia and New Zealand opened their doors to projects on the 13th of November 2013. By 2017, the company had added Japan to its list of supported nations. Strickler resigned from his role as co-founder in July 2017. The physical headquarters moved to 58 Kent Street in Greenpoint Brooklyn in 2014 before transitioning to remote work.
Project creators set a deadline and a minimum funding goal for every campaign. If the goal is not met by the deadline no funds are collected from backers. This all-or-nothing model acts as an assurance contract protecting contributors. Kickstarter applies a 5% fee on the total amount of funds raised by successful campaigns. A payments processor adds an additional 3, 5% fee to cover transaction costs. As of April 2025 the site has received US$8.71 billion in pledges from 24.1 million backers. The success rate for projects reached 37.45 percent according to data from the 4th of December 2019. Projects that reach 20 percent of their goal have over an 80 percent chance of full success. Featured projects on the homepage enjoy an 89 percent success rate compared to 30 percent for unfeatured ones. Film & Video and Music categories account for over half the money raised on the platform. Tabletop games alone represent more than $2 out of every $10 spent by supporters.
The first project to exceed one million dollars was a dock designed for the iPhone by Casey Hopkins. Double Fine Productions launched an adventure game just hours later which finished with over $3 million pledged. On the 30th of August 2014 Ryan Grepper's Coolest Cooler became the most funded project in history with US$13.28 million. Pebble Technology held the previous record before the cooler broke it. Brandon Sanderson's Surprise! Four Secret Novels raised $41,754,153 closing on the 31st of March 2022. Exploding Kittens attracted 219,382 backers making it the campaign with the highest number of contributors. The Veronica Mars Movie Project gathered 91,585 supporters to fund a film adaptation. Peloton Interactive sold its first exercise bike through Kickstarter in 2013 at an early bird price tag of $1,500. Cards Against Humanity originated with a $4,000 Kickstarter campaign in 2010. Approximately 10 percent of films accepted into major festivals like Sundance and SXSW were originally funded on the site.
Questions arose about projects that appeared fraudulent or failed to deliver promised goods. Eye3 camera drone helicopter was cancelled after raising funds for unrealistic performance promises. Mythic: The Story of Gods and Men adventure game copied graphics from other games before canceling. Tech-Sync Power System disappeared suddenly without providing photos of a working prototype. Kobe Red jerky project raised $120,309 but was canceled as allegedly fraudulent. The Skarp Laser Razor campaign raised $4 million before being banned by Kickstarter for lacking a prototype. iFind claimed to be a battery-free item locating tag but critics doubted its viability. LA Game Space exceeded its funding target yet shut down in 2018 failing to open a venue. Coast Runner Industries sued Kickstarter in February 2024 after suspending their CR-1 desktop CNC campaign. These failures highlight risks where creators underestimate costs or face technical difficulties.
Kickstarter staff announced plans to unionize on the 19th of March 2019 under the Office and Professional Employees International Union. Three senior staffers released a memo dissenting against the decision claiming it was too extreme. Two employees were terminated leading to complaints filed with the National Labor Relations Board on September 16. CEO Aziz Hasan stated the company would require an election rather than voluntarily recognizing the union. A formal vote held on the 18th of February 2020 resulted in 46 votes in favor and 37 against joining OPEIU. As of the 2nd of May 2020 sixty percent of the workforce became part of the union. In October 2025 Kickstarter United went on strike while bargaining to maintain the four-day workweek. Workers voted to end the strike after 42 days securing codification of the shortened schedule. The agreement included salary floor increases based on cost of living and protections against replacement by generative AI.
In December 2021 Kickstarter announced a plan to move its platform to blockchain technology. Andreessen Horowitz provided $100 million for this pivot which ultimately alienated many users. The backlash prompted creators and backers to pledge abandonment if the move proceeded. A data breach affecting almost 5.2 million users occurred in February 2014 exposing email addresses and password hashes. Patent disputes arose when ArtistShare sued over crowdfunding methods in 2011 before winning invalidation in June 2015. Formlabs faced patent infringement lawsuits from 3D Systems regarding stereolithography patents in November 2012. Coast Runner Industries sued Kickstarter in December 2024 alleging violations of federal antitrust law. These legal battles and technical shifts demonstrate the complex challenges facing modern crowdfunding platforms.
Common questions
When did Kickstarter launch and who founded it?
Kickstarter launched on the 28th of April 2009, by Perry Chen and Yancey Strickler. The company began operations from a small office at 155 Rivington Street in Manhattan.
What are the fees charged by Kickstarter for successful campaigns?
Kickstarter applies a 5% fee on the total amount of funds raised by successful campaigns. A payments processor adds an additional 3, 5% fee to cover transaction costs.
Which project holds the record for the highest funding amount on Kickstarter?
On the 30th of August 2014 Ryan Grepper's Coolest Cooler became the most funded project in history with US$13.28 million. Brandon Sanderson's Surprise! Four Secret Novels later raised $41,754,153 closing on the 31st of March 2022.
How many backers have pledged money to projects on Kickstarter as of April 2025?
As of April 2025 the site has received US$8.71 billion in pledges from 24.1 million backers. The success rate for projects reached 37.45 percent according to data from the 4th of December 2019.
When did Kickstarter staff vote to join the union and what was the result?
A formal vote held on the 18th of February 2020 resulted in 46 votes in favor and 37 against joining OPEIU. As of the 2nd of May 2020 sixty percent of the workforce became part of the union.