Kickstarter Projects:
Overview of the 10 Most Successful Projects on Kickstarter Worldwide

Key Points in Brief

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform. But that’s not all. This provider is the market leader and one of the experts in the field of crowdfunding. The platform primarily finances—or supports—larger projects, predominantly but not exclusively, from the technology sector. However, this does not mean that you cannot try your luck there with a smaller endeavor. Kickstarter has strict guidelines and controls to ensure that only well-prepared and realistic projects have a chance to be published on the site. Additionally, Kickstarter offers a variety of resources, information, and support for projects and their teams. In return, Kickstarter is somewhat more expensive compared to other providers. Another distinctive feature of Kickstarter is that users who back a project receive a reward. This could include beta access, a free copy, a special title or badge, a mention in the credits, etc. Creating such perks is an important part of the campaign and something you need to define and plan as part of your campaign.

Who is a Kickstarter Campaign Right For?

Kickstarter has so far mainly supported larger projects from the technology sector, but it is fundamentally suitable for all types of projects. The only important thing is that it’s a realistic endeavor that has been well planned and documented. In most cases, you should additionally have at least a functional prototype, an early alpha version of the software, or something comparable. The platform has strict guidelines and conducts very thorough reviews of potential projects before they are approved for a campaign.

Kickstarter campaigns are interesting because they allow you to finance and thus realize projects that otherwise could not be implemented. Many PC games, entertainment products, and gadgets have since been successfully realized through a Kickstarter campaign or one of the other crowdfunding platforms. Most of these would never have made it to market—or only much later—without crowdfunding, as they lacked the necessary financing.

The Ten Most Successful Kickstarter Campaigns Worldwide

In this section, we present to you the ten most successful campaigns worldwide that have been conducted on Kickstarter. You will receive a brief overview with the most important information about each project. Our goal is to provide you with a concise list and an overview of endeavors that have been successful with a Kickstarter campaign.

Project 1: Pebble Smartwatch

The Pebble Smartwatch is a smart watch that can be paired with a smartphone to display notifications and SMS messages. It can also show and answer calls and be used to control or play music. The 2012 project was able to raise over ten million US dollars in total, making it to date the most successful endeavor ever run on Kickstarter.

Project 2: OUYA Game Console

The OUYA is a gaming console based on the Android operating system, which is also used on many smartphones. In the OUYA Store, users can download a variety of apps and games for free. The project is the second most successful campaign ever run on Kickstarter, after the Pebble Watch. Thanks to Kickstarter, the project has since been successfully implemented, raising over 8.5 million US dollars in total.

Project 3: Coolest Cooler

The Coolest Cooler is a special kind of cooler box. It features USB ports, an LED flashlight, a Bluetooth speaker, as well as a bottle opener, plates, cups, and cutlery. The Coolest Cooler ranks third among the most successful campaigns on Kickstarter, having raised approximately 8.1 million US dollars. To date, the campaign is still active on Kickstarter, and the Coolest Cooler is available for purchase.

Project 4: Pono Music

The PonoPlayer is a player for FLAC files. FLAC is a music format used in recording studios to capture songs in high quality. The project was developed by Neil Young, who also conceived the idea for the PonoPlayer. In total, the Pono Music campaign raised 6.2 million US dollars for the project.

Project 5: Veronica Mars Movie Project

Veronica Mars was a US TV series that was canceled after three seasons. A planned Veronica Mars movie was also canceled following the series’ cancellation. However, through Kickstarter, the project was able to mobilize its fans worldwide. In total, more than five million US dollars were raised to make the movie possible. It was successfully produced and was shown in selected cinemas in Germany.

Project 6: Reading Rainbow

Reading Rainbow is an older TV series designed to bring reading to children and adolescents. The program was discontinued some time ago. With the Reading Rainbow campaign on Kickstarter, LeVar Burton—from Star Trek fame—had the idea to revive the program online and make the content available over the Internet again. Additionally, new episodes were to be created. The idea clearly resonated: the project raised around 5.4 million US dollars on Kickstarter, enough to bring LeVar Burton’s vision to life.

Project 7: Torment: Tides of Numenera

Torment: Tides of Numenera is a PC game and the unofficial successor to the classic Torment: Planescape. The idea was very well received: the Kickstarter campaign raised around 4.1 million US dollars. The project has since been successfully completed. Torment: Tides of Numenera is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Project 8: Project Eternity

Project Eternity is a fantasy role-playing game developed by the same team behind the classic Baldur’s Gate. The idea was very well received: the project raised around 3.9 million US dollars. The game was successfully completed and is available on the market. Like Torment: Tides of Numenera, this game is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Project 9: Mighty No. 9

Mighty No. 9 is a spinoff of the classic Mega Man series. It is a modern take on the classic made possible through a Kickstarter campaign. The size of the fan base is evident from the project’s success: the campaign raised around 3.8 million US dollars. The project has since been successfully completed.

Project 10: Reaper Miniatures Bones

Reaper Miniatures are small pewter figures that users can paint themselves. They come from the Bones series. Thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, the project was realized and the pewter figures were brought to market. In total, the campaign on the crowdfunding platform raised around 3.4 million US dollars—a clear testament to the large fan base and popularity of the Bones series.

Kickstarter Alternatives – Other Options Available

If you—for whatever reason—are not convinced by Kickstarter as a crowdfunding platform, there are a variety of other options available. The market has become very diverse in terms of crowdfunding, and correspondingly the number of platforms has grown. In the table below, you will find an overview of some reputable and well-known crowdfunding platforms.

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