在众筹出现之前，为您的最新和最伟大的科技产品获得现金的唯一方法是在只想获得最大利润的富有投资者面前俯首称臣。那些对产品或想法(product or idea)本身没有任何热情但真正关心它是否会在创纪录的时间内(record time)卖出一百万台的投资者。
现在一切都变了。众筹让普通人可以赚到几美元，这样聪明大胆的企业家就可以将他们的愿景变为现实。大多数投资众筹科技产品的人实际上真的想要产品本身，或者至少希望它存在。
Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware!
当然，作为众筹投资者(crowdfund investor)，您必须充分了解自己的投资方向。经典的众筹模式(crowdfunding model)不是投资。你给钱的人没有义务回报你。这不是一项投资，您不拥有股份，而且交付产品的承诺并不像许多人想象的那样具有约束力。
这意味着您永远不应该投资您不愿意注销的众筹项目。(crowdfunding project)大量项目不会成功，但如果您花时间真正阅读宣传内容，您可以提高支持获胜者的机会。
那么，您应该去哪里购物以投资下一个大型科技众筹成功案例(success story)呢？这是以伟大的科技产品而闻名的四个最著名的众筹网站。我们排除了GoFundMe等主要关注慈善事业的众筹网站，尽管有时您也会在那里找到与技术相关的项目。
Kickstarter是众筹(poster child)革命(crowdfunding revolution)的典型代表，自 2009 年以来一直存在。一些最著名（和臭名昭著(infamous)）的科技项目是通过Kickstarter资助的。
到目前为止，Kickstarter 模型(Kickstarter model)已经非常有名并且经常被复制。如果项目不符合其申请的资助金额(funding amount)，则不会获得资助。因此，您“质押”一定金额，而不是立即直接交出现金。如果项目没有得到足够的支持，它不会花费你一分钱。
项目所有者可以为不同级别的捐赠设置奖励等级。像 VR 耳机或游戏机这样的科技产品通常会包含一个为您提供一个单元的层。Kickstarter的买家通常会以远低于零售价的价格获得首次运行的单位，但当然你可能永远也得不到任何东西。
对于任何希望帮助众筹小工具的人来说，这个网站几乎是第一站，因为它还吸引了一些最好的项目。然而，并不是每个人都喜欢Kickstarter 模式(Kickstarter model)。幸运的是，还有其他选择。
信不信由你，IndieGoGo是在(IndieGoGo)Kickstarter之前(before )推出的，尽管它并没有立即获得那么大的关注。这个想法也与Kickstarter非常相似，项目所有者为向他们提供现金的人提供分级奖励。
自 2016 年以来，IndieGoGo还提供了向微型投资者出售股权的可能性，但原则上它不是股权众筹网站。大多数项目仍然或多或少与Kickstarter 模型(Kickstarter model)相同。
IndieGoGo还提供了一个市场，您可以在其中直接购买已经可用的产品。因此，如果您只是想获得一个新的创新小工具，那么它是一个很好的选择，可以替代新兴项目可能需要数年才能起步。
在许多方面，IndieGoGo感觉比Kickstarter现在更具创新性和灵活性，并且仍然凭借其自身的优点吸引了大量AAA 项目(AAA project)的想法。如果您感觉很慷慨，必须停下来。
如果你觉得大型主流众筹(mainstream crowdfunding)网站上有太多空想、感觉不错的科技项目，那么这个网站就是为你准备的。Crowdsupply 专注于核心硬件(hardcore hardware)，其大部分项目类别都关注网络、机器人和开放硬件等书呆子应用。仍然有食品、玩具等类别，但总的来说，对于那些喜欢电路板和焊锡气味的人来说，这是一个天堂。
使Crowdsupply 与众不同(Crowdsupply apart)的另一件事是名称。该公司竭尽全力确保获得资助和创建的项目能够落入支持者的手中。他们拥有自己的分销基础设施(distribution infrastructure)，并始终确保制造和交付成功的产品。
在允许某人列出项目之前，他们还有一套更严格的标准。总体而言，Crowdsupply比竞争对手更亲用户，并且拥有一些真正创新的技术项目，尽管不那么性感。
与其他众筹平台不同，Crowdfunder允许实际投资以换取相关公司的股权。这解决了许多人在众筹方面遇到的一个主要问题，即人们投入的资金没有任何欠款。甚至没有承诺的奖励。
问题是，并不是每个人都可以在这个平台上投资公司。由于法律限制，只有经过认证的投资者才能将资金投入有前途的初创公司。然而，这将改变。为了应对不断变化的投资世界(investment world)，法律正在发生变化，任何人都可以将资金投入早期创业公司。
如果您正在考虑为下一个征服世界的科技创业公司(tech startup)投入更多资金，Crowdfunder是您应该密切关注的地方。
科学与技术(Science and technology)密不可分。毕竟，科学发现为我们提供了制造我们今天都喜爱的技术的知识。因此，虽然您可以在Experiment(Experiment)上资助的项目通常不会直接导致特定的小工具或小玩意儿(gadget or gizmo)，但您可能会帮助开发一些有一天可以改变一切的东西(everything one)。
新的电池(New battery)技术？这就是你会在Experiment(Experiment)上找到的东西。机器人(Robots)？你打赌(You bet)！几乎所有你能想到的学科都有科学研究项目，如果有什么让你内心的技术极客兴奋不已(tech geek)，那么如果你有闲钱的话，这是一个扔一些铜币的好地方。
当然，你不会得到任何(get anything)直接的回报，但通过帮助推进人类知识，你会有那种温暖的模糊感。(fuzzy feeling)
Patreon是一个让从事各种项目的人获得资金的网站。艺术家、内容创作者以及几乎所有需要经济援助来追求自己热爱的项目的人。Patreon不像Kickstarter，因为您可以通过自己的贡献获得一个闪亮的新小工具。但是，有很多技术修补者创造了很酷的东西，你可以通过这个网站提供帮助。
他们可能正在开发新软件或研究小众设备原型。通过成为赞助人(Patron)，您可以帮助他们坚持自己的项目，也许有一天会转向Kickstarter 或风险资本投资之(Kickstarter or venture capital investment)类的东西。
因此，需要明确的是，您不会为自己获得任何实际的小工具。但是，您将成为该过程的一部分！对于那些为了技术本身而热爱技术的人来说，这非常简洁。还有很多创作者制作的教育内容可以帮助培养下一代发明家，所以它真的是一个不时传播爱的好地方。
虽然使众筹成为主流做法的(mainstream practice)Kickstarter 模型(Kickstarter model)不是一种投资形式，但这并不意味着你不能通过众筹进行投资。CrowdCube让您可以购买在那里寻找资金的初创公司的股权。
展示了许多与技术相关的项目，尽管您不会从中获得小工具，但如果某家公司起飞，您可能会看到一些可观的回报。再说一次，与任何投资一样，您也可以看到您的贡献化为乌有。
因此，同样的建议仍然适用于 Kickstarter 及其同类产品。也就是说，不要放下你输不起的钱。
共和国(Republic)是众筹的另一个例子，它也可以作为一种投资。如果你把钱投入到一家成功的创业公司，你会看到你的钱的回报。
共和国(Republic)在很多方面都与众不同。首先(First)，很多投资众筹平台只允许注册投资者下注。共和国(Republic)对任何人开放，有些项目的最低投资仅为十美元。
他们可以管理这种风险的原因之一是所提供的令人难以置信的选择性。Republic声称，只有 3% 的向他们申请的初创公司能够通过众筹。
虽然获得批准的初创公司会随着时间的推移而发生变化，并且并不总是以技术为重点，但对于那些希望在这里投资技术的人来说，还是有很多的。Republic主持了涉及机器人学、基因组学、金融科技(Fintech)等领域的项目。如果您今天没有看到有趣的投资机会(investment opportunity today)，您随时可以不时回来。谁知道？你最终可能会资助下一个Uber 或 AirBnB(Uber or AirBnB)！
钱花得好(Money Well Spent)
众筹(Crowdfunding)确实改变了科技界的游戏规则。创新者现在不再面对一些适合的鲨鱼缸(shark tank)类型，而是直接与公众合作。我们既要展示我们真正想要的技术，又要在真正取得巨大成功时成为历史的一部分。
是的，从来没有任何保证你会为你的贡献得到任何(get anything)具体的东西，但它肯定比没有任何独立发明者想出的不必要的东西要好。那么为什么不把爱传播一点呢？
Eight Places to Invest in Crowdfunding New Technology
Before the advent of crowdfunding, the only way to get the cash for your latest and greatest tech product was to prostrate yourself before rich investors who are only looking to make maximum profit. Investоrs who don’t really have any рassion for the product or idea per se, but really do care if it will sell a million units in record time.
That’s all changed now. Crowdfunding allows regular people to kick in a few dollars so that bright and bold entrepreneurs can bring their vision to life. Most people who invest in crowdfunding tech gadgets actually really want the product itself or at the very least want it to exist.
Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware!
Of course, as a crowdfund investor you have to be fully aware of what you’re getting into. The classic crowdfunding model is not an investment. The people you give the money to are under no obligation to ever pay you back. It’s not an investment, you don’t own shares and a promise of a delivered product is not as binding as many might think.
This means you should never invest in a crowdfunding project that you are not comfortable writing off. A significant number of projects won’t succeed, but if you take the time to really read the pitches you can better your chances of backing a winner.
So where should you go shopping to invest in the next big tech crowdfunding success story? These are four of the most prominent crowdfunding sites known for great tech products. We’ve excluded crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe, who mainly focus on charitable causes, although sometimes you’ll find tech-related projects there too.
Kickstarter is the poster child of the crowdfunding revolution and has been around since 2009. Some of the most famous (and infamous) tech projects have been funded through Kickstarter.
By now the Kickstarter model is pretty well-known and often copied. If a project does not meet its requested funding amount, it won’t be funded. So you “pledge” an amount, rather than immediately and directly handing over the cash. It won’t cost you a cent if the project doesn’t get enough backing.
Project owners can set award tiers for different levels of donation. It’s common for tech products like VR headsets or game consoles to include a tier that nets you a unit. Kickstarter buyers often get first-run units at much lower than retail prices, but of course you may never get anything at all.
This site is pretty much the first stop for anyone looking to help crowdfund a gadget, since it also attracts some of the best projects. However, not everyone likes the Kickstarter model. Luckily there are alternatives.
Believe it or not, IndieGoGo was launched before Kickstarter, although it didn’t immediately get as much traction. The idea is also pretty similar to Kickstarter, with project owners offering tiered awards to people who kick some cash over to them.
Since 2016 IndieGoGo also offers the possibility of selling equity to micro-investors, but it isn’t an equity crowdfunding site in principle. Most projects are still more or less the same as the Kickstarter model.
IndieGoGo also offers a marketplace where you can directly buy products that are already available. So if you are just looking to get a new innovative gadget, it’s a great alternative to the years it might take for nascent projects to get off the ground.
In many ways IndieGoGo feels a little more innovative and flexible than Kickstarter does these days and still attracts plenty of AAA project ideas on its own merit. It’s a must to stop by if you’re feeling generous.
If you feel that there are too many wishy-washy, feel good tech projects on the big mainstream crowdfunding sites, then this site is for you. Crowdsupply is laser-focused on hardcore hardware, with most of its project categories looking at nerdy applications such as networking, robotics and open hardware. There are still categories for food, toys and such, but overall it’s a paradise for those who love circuit boards and the smell of solder.
Another thing that sets Crowdsupply apart is in the name. The company goes to extraordinary lengths to make sure that projects that do get funded and created make it into the hands of backers. They have their own distribution infrastructure and always ensure that successful products are made and delivered.
They also have a much stricter set of criteria that apply before someone is allowed to list a project. Overall, Crowdsupply is much more pro-user than the competition and has some truly innovative tech projects, albeit less sexy ones.
Unlike the other crowdfunding platforms Crowdfunder allows for actual investment in return for equity in the company in question. This addresses a major problem that many people have with crowdfunding, the fact that people are owed nothing for the money they put down. Not even the promised rewards.
The catch is that not everyone can invest towards companies on this platform. Thanks to legal restrictions, only accredited investors are allowed to put their money into promising startups. That is however set to change. In response to a changing investment world, legal changes are on the way that will allow anyone to put their money into early startups.
If you are looking at investing more serious money towards the next world-conquering tech startup, Crowdfunder is a place you should keep a keen eye on.
Science and technology are inextricably linked. After all, it’s scientific discovery that gives us the knowledge to make the technologies we all love today. So while the projects you can fund on Experiment are usually not going to lead directly to a specific gadget or gizmo, you may help develop something that could change everything one day.
New battery technology? That’s the sort of thing you’ll find on Experiment. Robots? You bet! There are scientific research projects in just about every discipline you can think of and if something excites the tech geek in you, then this is a wonderful place to throw a few coppers if you have them to spare.
Of course, you won’t get anything directly in return, but you will have that warm fuzzy feeling by helping to advance human knowledge.
Patreon is a site where people who work on all sorts of projects get funding. Artists, content creators and just about anyone who needs financial assistance to pursue their passion projects. Patreon isn’t like Kickstarter in the sense that you can get a shiny new gadget for your contribution. However, there are plenty of technology tinkerers who create cool stuff you can help out through this site.
They might be developing new software or working on niche devices prototypes. By becoming a Patron, you can help them stick with their project and perhaps one day move on to something like Kickstarter or venture capital investment.
So, to be clear, you won’t get any actual gadgets for yourself. However, you get to be part of the process! This is pretty neat for anyone who loves technology for its own sake. There are also plenty of creators who make educational content that can help nurture the next generation of inventors, so it really is a nice place to spread the love around every now and then.
While the Kickstarter model that made crowdfunding a mainstream practice is not a form of investment, that doesn’t mean you can’t invest through crowdfunding. CrowdCube lets you buy equity in startups that look for funding there.
There are plenty of technology-related projects on display and, although you won’t get a gadget out of it, if a given company takes off you may see some serious returns. Then again, as with any investment, you could also see your contribution go up in smoke.
So the same advice still applies as it does to Kickstarter and its ilk. That is, don’t put down money you can’t afford to lose.
Republic is another example of crowdfunding that also works as an investment. If you put money into a startup that succeeds, you’ll see a return on your money.
Republic sets itself apart in a number of ways. First of all, many investment crowdfunding platforms only allow registered investors to put money down. Republic is open to anyone, and some projects have minimum investments of only ten bucks.
One of the reasons they can manage the risk of this is the incredible degree of selectivity on offer. Republic claims that only 3% of startups who apply to them make it through to be crowdfunded.
While the startups that are approved change over time and won’t always have a tech focus, there’s plenty for those looking to invest in technology here. Republic has hosted projects dealing with robotics, genomics, Fintech and much more. If you don’t see an interesting investment opportunity today, you can always come back from time to time. Who knows? You might end up funding the next Uber or AirBnB!
Money Well Spent
Crowdfunding has really changed the game in the tech world. Instead of facing some suited shark tank types, innovators now work directly with the public. We get to both show what technologies we really want and get to be part of history when a great success does happen.
Yes, there are never any guarantees that you’ll get anything concrete for your contribution, but it sure beats never having any of the needless stuff independent inventors come up with. So why not spread the love around a little?
