It’s been a year since Kickstarter set up in our region. After 558 projects and over $14 million in funding, let’s have a look at the top five funded projects produced.
Through Kickstarter, some amazing things have been done. And after 448 Australian projects and 110 New Zealand projects were backed, and $14,194,301 in funds were pledged, we are now several cool things richer.
Julie Wood, spokesperson for Kickstarter, especially liked the sockless shoes.
“We’re thrilled to see creators in Australia and New Zealand coming up with fantastic ideas and bringing them to life using Kickstarter. From sockless shoes to groundbreaking films to tools for technologists, some amazing things have already happened and we’re excited to see what comes next!”
As for the top 5 funded projects down under, they are:
Satellite Reign, $835,419
The only video game in the top five, Satellite Reign was actually funded before Kickstarter was open to ANZ creators. As such, it was funded in Pounds, despite being a Brisbane project, but the amount is the highest funded project from our region. It promises tactical combat as a spiritual successor to the Syndicate series.
Ninja Sphere, $702,937
This one seems pretty nifty. Ninja Sphere uses a few points around your home to map out where your electronics are, or even your pets. It can tell you when you’re receiving a call if your phone is in the other room, and it can control appliances remotely. The uses seem varied and up to your own imagination, and that will be boosted by its open source software as the community builds on its possibilities. It looks like a big step towards controlling your entire home remotely with gestures.
LazerBlade, $569,397
This project aimed to provide affordable laser cutting on many different materials with its self-assembled kit, and backers responded. Check out the massive Kickstarter page to see the many different uses for it — from papercraft, to leather, to metal. If you missed the early funding run, keep your eye on their website for when they announce preorders.
The Stupendous Splendiferous ButterUp, $360,286
A butter knife that softens butter as you slice it, regardless of having just taken it out of the fridge? Sign me up! I don’t even eat butter.
N2, $359,112
Neo smartpen N2 will take what you’re righting on a notepad or other real-world item, and duplicate that on a smart device. It goes for a slightly slimmer design than a typical digital pen, and is super convenient: It’s always on, auto-saves, and can store up to 1,000 pages of content before needing to sync with your device. There are a handful of other cool features, such as being able to tell what page you’re writing on, as shown here: