Crowdfunding Consultants for Hardware Startups
Crowdfunding makes raising money easier, but who’s going to help entrepreneurs get their products built?
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Crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have changed how hardware entrepreneurs raise money. Since Kickstarter’s 2009 debut, donors there have pledged $90 million to 3,087 tech projects. But cash in hand doesn’t guarantee a successful product launch. Pebble, which raised more than $10 million on Kickstarter for its smartwatch, began to ship watches to stores before some donors got theirs, causing a minor furor. Max Gunawan, whose shapable lamp, Lumio, has sold a few thousand copies, says, “There are so many times when I feel like I’m going to fail because I’m all alone.” He’s raised about $600,000 on Kickstarter.