{"id":22664,"date":"2022-12-21T11:33:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T19:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backerkit.com\/blog\/?p=22664"},"modified":"2022-12-21T12:13:45","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T20:13:45","slug":"backerkit-year-in-review-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backerkit.com\/blog\/backerkit-year-in-review-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"BackerKit Year in Review 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year at Backerkit has been one of transformation, experimentation, and growth. We started a new crowdfunding platform \u2014 Crowdfunding by BackerKit<\/a>! In doing so, we, along with everyone who has launched or backed a project with us in 2022, are taking the first steps toward building the future of crowdfunding, and it couldn\u2019t be more exciting. We\u2019re also celebrating BackerKit\u2019s 10th anniversary. That\u2019s 10 years of working with the crowdfunding community and helping creators of all types bring amazing ideas into the world. Over the years, the BackerKit team has worked with over 14,000 projects, helping creators raise over $650 million, while our expert Support team has directly helped 376,115 backers, resolving issues and requests.<\/p>\n

Major developments and milestones like these beg you to ask how you\u2019ve gotten to this point. The answer is all of you. It\u2019s you \u2013 the creators, backers, friends, and partners that have made this possible. Your passion motivates us to discover new ways to support the work you\u2019re doing. So, as we take a look back at 2022, we also want to thank you for all that you do.<\/p>\n

Introducing Crowdfunding by BackerKit<\/h2>\n

This year, we took on our most ambitious endeavor yet: the beta release of Crowdfunding by BackerKit. While the platform launched in June, this new chapter actually began years ago.<\/p>\n

Since 2012, we\u2019ve had a chance to work with so many of you, witnessing the techniques you\u2019ve invented to engage your backers and build your audiences. We\u2019ve listened to your challenges, we\u2019ve learned from your successes, and we\u2019ve been inspired by the way that the crowdfunding community has been able to innovate in this space throughout the years.<\/p>\n

We believe that you all deserve a crowdfunding platform that evolves to meet your changing needs and embraces the spirit of innovation and experimentation that have pushed crowdfunding forward. Since launching in June, we\u2019ve teamed up with the creators of 42 projects to begin building that platform. We\u2019re working hand-in-hand with these creators, listening to their feedback, figuring out ways to support their explorations, and developing tools that will make it easier for more creators to adopt the most effective crowdfunding techniques.<\/p>\n

Because we\u2019ve been working closely with these creators, we\u2019ve had a front-row seat to so many amazing moments. We\u2019ve seen creators like CMYK<\/a> and XYZ Game Labs<\/a> have their most successful campaigns ever, and we\u2019ve seen others like Baby Bestiary<\/a> and Greater Than Games<\/a> hit backer count milestones. While there are great stories that have come from each project that launched with us this year, here are just a few that were especially exciting.<\/p>\n

Moments we loved<\/h4>\n

Return to Dark Tower reaches $2 million:<\/strong> We were thrilled to work with the talented team at Restoration Games, launching the 2nd printing of Return to Dark Tower and the Covenant Expansion<\/a> on our platform in July. From start to finish, we were impressed with the amount of hard work and thought that was put into this project, as well as the team\u2019s willingness to experiment with things like email communications using BackerKit Launch<\/a> and how pledge add-ons function<\/a>. One of the most exciting moments of the year was watching all of that hard work pay off in a major way as the project raised $2 million.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An interactive campaign:<\/strong> In October, creators Alchemy Art, blushsprout, and Chocolate Raisin Fury teamed up to launch Purrtagonists: Fabled Felines<\/a> \u2014 a cat and Dungeons and Dragons-themed enamel pin project. The trio came to us hoping to do an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure-style campaign, and we were eager to help them get the results they were after. Using the platform\u2019s poll feature, backers were able to influence the direction of the project and which pin designs would be unlocked. You can read more about their experience with BackerKit here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Creator collaboration:<\/strong> Bird Ita Bags & Accessories<\/a> by Corviforms and Pizza Pinz<\/a> by BackerKit\u2019s own Jason Furie were two of the first projects to launch on BackerKit. Both creators dove into the experience with an incredible amount of enthusiasm and quickly coordinated a cross-collaboration while their projects were live. Both offered a free, specially designed pigeon pin for people who backed both projects. Together they exemplified the spirit of collaboration and community that you love to see in crowdfunding.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

StarKid Returns<\/a>:<\/strong> Demonstrating just how powerful a strong community (and strong coffee) can be, Team StarKid held a marathon 18-hour Finale Livestream where they hung out with their fans and drove pledges. By the end of the livestream, they’d unlocked all of their stretch goals and surpassed their funding goal by more than $100,000.<\/p>\n