Kickstarter

Kickstarter, PBC is an American public benefit corporation headquartered in Brooklyn, New York City, founded on April 28, 2009 by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler. The platform operates on an "all-or-nothing" funding model: creators set a funding goal and deadline, and funds are only collected if the goal is met within the allotted time. Backers receive tangible rewards or experiences in exchange for their pledges.

As of April 2025, Kickstarter has facilitated US$8.71 billion in pledges from 24.1 million backers, funding 277,302 projects spanning films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, board games, technology, publishing, and food. The platform is available to creators in 25 countries. Notable campaigns include the Pebble Time Smartwatch ($20.38M), the Coolest Cooler ($13.29M), and the Critical Role Film ($11.39M).

Kickstarter charges a 5% fee on successfully funded projects, plus third-party payment processing fees of roughly 3–5%. In 2015, the company converted to a Public Benefit Corporation structure, committing its charter to promoting arts and culture, fighting inequality, and prioritizing societal outcomes alongside shareholder returns.

An innovation in crowdfunding, creative financing, or platform economics would be directly relevant to Kickstarter given its role as the world's leading rewards-based crowdfunding platform for creative work.