Going To The Masses
Crowdfunding sites, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, are popular ways for startups to not only raise money but also gain valuable market research on their in-progress products.
New York-based researcher CB Insights built on an earlier study done by Flybridge Capital Partners General Partner Matthew Witheiler, taking a look at hardware companies that raised money via Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
The conclusion: Crowdfunding can serve as good proof-of-market demand to then take to a venture capital firm for later-stage funding.
What follows is a ranking of the 10 most well-funded, crowdfunded startups that began with Indiegogo or Kickstarter, based on how much they've raised through VCs.
Note: Oculus is absent from this list because of its $2 billion sale to Facebook this year.
