101498

Pebble raises 100X more than expected in record time

The new smartwatch company on Kickstarter has sold out of the 85K devices ready for early purchase

Technology trends and news by Krystal Peak
May 10, 2012 | Comments
Short URL: http://vator.tv/n/269d

 

It looks like the hot-ticket item of the moment is the Pebble smart watch. With eight days left in its Kickstarter countdown, Pebble has already hit its 85,000 watch first batch threshold and raised $10.1 million so far.

The Pebble is a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled wristwatch that works with iPhone and Android smartphones to show app updates and other data its square screen.

The smart watch creators have broken records at Kickstarter, the crowdfunding website where people pledges money to projects in the works.

The elegant and simple design seems to have struck a cord with the public and is likely to get more startups to look long and hard at Kickstarter as a viable way to build capital and buzz about consumer products.

On Kickstarter, startups create a short video and description of the project are building. Its a very diverse site with everything from pop art to novels and journalism investigations.  Creators can offer demos of their service or show protoypes to entice the public to invest.

Kickstarter sets up several funding levels – with perks such as a free product or reduced price specials for those that invest a little cash.

Funding levels can range from just $1 to several thousand and all go toward the funding goal a person sets -- and if that goal isn't hit then no money is charged to those that were willing to fork over the funds.

Kickstarter has so far raised more than $200 million for roughly 20,000 projects.

Pebble now the most popular Kickstarter project, more than tripling the money that Double Fine raised for a new video game earlier this year -- especially since, initially, Pebble expected to raise $100,000 in funding.

“We’ve thought a lot about this decision, and we feel it’s time,” the Pebble team wrote. “You, our backers, were the first group of people to believe in Pebble, and we want to return our focus to creating the most awesome watch possible for you.”

People who pledged to the Pebble Kickstarter up to this point paid between $99 to $125 for a watch, whereas the device will retail for $150 after it becomes widely available.

Pebble has already partnered with Runkeeper to create a first official Pebble app.

Even though other companies have attempted to create a smartwatch, it looks like the early adopter price of around $100, matched with the app capabilities and style could resonate with the tech savvy consumers.

 


Related news


blog comments powered by Disqus
Find your friends' startup new!
Vator is more valuable if you know who's here.
Discover who has a startup and help their success by following their progress!

Featured Stories

Latest company news bites on Vator

BlazeMeter - Alon Girmonsky (CEO & Founder)
BlazeMeter named as one of the best! Dr Dobbs Jolt Awards: The Best Testing Tools http://t.co/H7tsimbqKT
See more
AngelPad was featured in a article: "Here is a preview of AngelPad's Demo Day" about 4 hours ago
We highlight four of the 12 companies that will be presenting for angels and investors on Wednesday See more
Mercy Corps and Startup Weekend have partnered to create a first-of-its kind event focused on solving ...
See more
Xeinge Group - Kevin Rivers (Founder/CEO)
A new social networking service is coming! Get your exclusive invite on Bluurp today! (http://www.bluurp.com) #Bluurp ...
See more
Xeinge Group - Kevin Rivers (Founder/CEO)
A new social networking service is coming! Get your exclusive invite on Bluurp today! (http://www.bluurp.com) #Bluurp ...
See more