The Micro Crowdfunding Campaign: How M3D Raised $3.4 Million through Kickstarter to Develop an Affordable 3D Printer

Abstract

In April 2014, M3D launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise money for a new prototype domestic 3D printer called “The Micro.” The campaign proved a huge success, breaking a string of crowdfunding records and raising more than US$3,400,000 in the space of 30 days. This case study provides an in-depth look at the factors behind this success. Beginning with a discussion of how The Micro 3D Printer first came into existence, it then moves on to explore the reasons why the M3D team opted to use a crowdfunding platform such as Kickstarter to fund their start-up project, as well as outlining the extensive preparation that went into producing The Micro 3D's hugely successful online funding campaign.

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