# Kickstarter

> Kickstarter is a reward-based crowdfunding platform where creators pitch finite creative projects and backers pledge to help make them real. Its all-or-nothing model charges backers only when a campaign reaches its goal, while newer tools for pre-launch audience building, late pledges, marketing, payment flexibility, pledge management, taxes, shipping, and fulfillment are turning the original campaign platform into a broader launch system for independent creative work.

- **Founded:** 2009
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States (fully remote workforce)
- **Founders:** Perry Chen (Founder and former CEO/chair), Yancey Strickler (Co-founder and former CEO), Charles Adler (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 380 employees (third-party estimate supplied); the company operates remotely
- **Products:** Reward-based crowdfunding campaigns, Creator tools and analytics, Late Pledges, Kickstarter Performance, Learning Lab
- **Notable:** More than 26 million people from every continent have funded Kickstarter projects., Kickstarter-funded projects have won Grammy and Academy Awards and have been exhibited by the V&A Museum., The company became a Public Benefit Corporation in 2015 and publishes annual benefit statements.

## Products & services

- **Reward-based crowdfunding campaigns** — All-or-nothing campaign pages with goals, deadlines, project storytelling, updates, community discussion, and creator-defined rewards.
- **Creator tools and analytics** — Campaign editing, backer reports, messaging, project analytics, referrals, and an advanced creator dashboard.
- **Late Pledges** — Lets eligible successfully funded projects continue accepting pledges after the campaign deadline.
- **Kickstarter Performance** — An in-house marketing service for selected campaigns that helps creators reach potential backers.
- **Learning Lab** — A free crowdfunding video curriculum made with LaunchBoom, covering basics, launch strategy, and production.
- **Kickstarter Pledge Manager** — Post-campaign tools for surveys, SKUs, add-ons, upgrades, addresses, shipping, taxes, backer records, and tracking.
- **Pledge Over Time** — Allows eligible backers to split a pledge into three equal interest-free monthly payments.
- **Pre-Launch Updates** — Lets creators update followers by email before a campaign goes live.
- **Secret and Featured Rewards** — Invite-only reward tiers and tools to emphasize selected rewards on a campaign.
- **The Creative Independent** — An editorial resource offering interviews and practical guidance for working artists.

## Achievements

- More than 26 million people from every continent have funded Kickstarter projects.
- Kickstarter-funded projects have won Grammy and Academy Awards and have been exhibited by the V&A Museum.
- The company became a Public Benefit Corporation in 2015 and publishes annual benefit statements.
- Employees formed one of the first wall-to-wall unions at a major U.S. technology company in 2020.
- Brandon Sanderson's 2022 publishing campaign raised more than $41 million, then a Kickstarter record.
- EufyMake's E1 UV printer became the largest crowdfunding campaign in history in 2025.
- Publishing raised more than $45 million on Kickstarter in 2025.
- The 2025 FilmStream Collective placed 21 Kickstarter-funded films on Tubi.
- Kickstarter described 2025 as its biggest year to date.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Kickstarter announced a new partner program connecting creators with vetted support for launching, delivering, and growing projects.
- **2026-04** — Q1 product updates expanded follower outreach, pledge-manager controls, fulfillment workflows, tax reporting, and a release-notes hub.
- **2025-12** — The company called 2025 its biggest year, highlighting the launch of Pledge Manager, Pledge Over Time, pre-launch updates, Learning Lab, and category records.
- **2025-12** — Kickstarter United ratified a new collective bargaining agreement after a 42-day strike.
- **2025-11** — Twenty-one Kickstarter-funded films began streaming on Tubi through the FilmStream Collective.
- **2025-09** — A new cohort joined Kickstarter's Community Advisory Council.
- **2025-05** — Pledge Over Time became available to all eligible creators, allowing three interest-free monthly payments.
- **2025-05** — Kickstarter Pledge Manager became available to all creators.

## Links

- Website: https://www.kickstarter.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kickstarter
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/kickstarter
- GitHub: https://github.com/kickstarter
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kickstarter
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickstarter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kickstarter

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/kickstarter
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13