Crowdfunding and Innovation

Maybe you've picked up on a recent trend - here on our blog, or through social media, or maybe through your own pursuits - of a little thing called crowdfunding. Familiar? It's not surprising: an increasing number of entrepreneurs as well as established engineers, artists, and existing companies are turning to sites like Fundable, IndieGogo, and Kickstarter to raise funds for their projects. These sites (and others like them) allow the creators to not only sell the product, but to fund the process and allow their customers a front-row seat to watching the creation unfold. (And, frankly, it's pretty exciting to be included in the construction of a product you want to buy).

More than that, though, there is an enormous benefit to the creators themselves. Through these sites, projects such as this small, powerful camera stabilizer or the much talked-about Open Hand Project have a real chance of getting off the ground and reaching the people who want them most. Even for companies that are already off the ground, a site like Fundable offers a chance to share new opportunities and deals to its customers. We think that's a great idea - so great, we'll have an exciting announcement soon about our work with Fundable. Keep your eyes open...

You may have noticed another commonality with the projects mentioned, of course: these (and many others) rely on a 3D printer to create prototypes, experiment with design, and in many cases create the finished product itself. The technology fits the trend well: our printers are meant to create anything you can dream up, and to print it as many times as you need it printed. The ability to create an original product at nominal cost is key in many crowdfunding efforts. At its best, crowdfunding offers a grassroots effort to share innovation and bring it to the people at the fairest price possible. That kind of effort is something that we, as a company dedicated to the Free Software philosophy, can get behind!

So take a look around and some of the truly innovative new technology that's coming from these individual entrepreneurs and engineers, and consider backing them... You'll get the product, of course, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing you've helped launch something important.