Kickstarter, arguably the world’s best-known crowdfunding platform, is planning to enter Asia starting with Singapore and Hong Kong.
Julie Wood, Kickstarter director of global communications, told tech site, Tech In Asia, that both city-states already have large communities of Kickstarter backers, who can now move into becoming Kickstarter project creators (see story here).
Kickstarter is currently available to project creators in 18 territories, including the US, UK, Australia and many European countries. Anyone wanting to raise funds through the site from anywhere else in the world needs a legal presence, bank account and credit card in one of these countries.
Now project creators in Singapore and Hong Kong do not need to jump through these hoops and will also be able to raise funds in local currency.
Singaporeans have already cleared these hurdles to raise funds for projects ranging from video games to smart watches and hi-tech bicycle helmets.
Kickstarter also claimed this week that it’s helped raise $5.3bn for projects since its launch in 2009, along with generating 29,600 full-time jobs and employment for 283,000 part-time collaborators. The claims were based on research conducted by Professor Ethan Mollick of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Films funded through Kickstarter include Rob Thomas’ Veronica Mars, Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus, Japanese filmmaker Masahiro Ando’s anime Under The Dog and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Endless Poetry (pictured).