2014 was the year when crowdfunding moved from something that you do to something your parents do. With that change came a huge increase in donations, pushing a coolbox that plays music to a frankly ridiculous $13.2 million (£8.4m) in funding. But that's just the peak of the pyramid. Read on to see which campaigns we chose as our favourites of the year.
A year ago the coolbox market was stuck in the dark ages, but a bunch of product designers from Portland reinvented the concept entirely with the Coolest. It's not just a coolbox, it also crushes ice, has inbuilt lights, includes a chopping board and bottle opener, plays music from a portable Bluetooth speaker and has USB ports so you don't run out of battery on your phone. It's also now the highest-funded product ever on Kickstarter with more than $13.2 million (£8.4m) in funding. More than 50,000 of them will be shipped in the coming months -- so expect to see one on a beach near you as soon as summer rolls around.
Overly large Bluetooth earbuds are the textbook definition of a first-world problem, but that didn't stop a pair of teensy-tiny earbuds designed in Sweden from raising almost £1,000,000 on Kickstarter. They have no cables or attachments at all, are fully waterproof and come in a neat capsule that not only stores the buds but also charges them when they're not in use. Next time you're shouting at someone on the street, they might not be able to hear you at all.
Many 3D printer projects have graced the hallowed halls of Kickstarter over the years, but the Flux is one of the most interesting. Not only does it 3D print, but it also 3D scans, can perform laser engraving, and has the ability to be expanded in the future with even more nozzles through an open module SDK. The team raised $1.3 million (£830,000), blowing away their $100,000 (£64,000) goal but still have lots of work to do before delivering the machines before the middle of 2015.
For years, geeks have fantasised over Star Trek's tricorder -- a device that can scan and gather information on any object just by pointing at it. Now that fantasy is becoming a reality with the help of $2.7 million (£1.7m) from Kickstarter -- which will go towards the creation of a pocket molecular spectrometer, allowing you to get instant information on anything around you. Not bad for science fiction.
Finally, beerheads rejoice -- you can now enjoy your homebrew in perfect condition at all times. The uKeg pressurised growler is a steampunk-designed flask that keeps beer cool, carbonated and delicious for hours. It raised $1.5 million (£960,000) on Kickstarter for manufacturing, and should be delivered before May next year -- ideal for use in combination with the Coolest Cooler.
Those are our favourite crowdfunding campaigns of the year, but I bet we forgot to mention yours. Correct our oversight in the comments below.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
