Crowdfunding For Innovation And Sustainability

Kickstarter has just hit the UK, but there are now a host of crowdfunding startups that focus on business creation and innovation

There was a notable buzz among techie and creative types last month as Kickstarter, the US-based leading proponent of crowdfunding, well, kickstarted its new UK operation. Entrepreneurs, artists and other groups with big ideas but small budgets polished up their business plans and online elevator pitches in the hope that the Kickstarter community would pony up enough funds to get their ventures started.

In the upstart world of social media, crowdsourcing and crowdfunding have already established themselves as two of the most disruptive and creative forces at work. Understanding the wisdom and motivation of the crowd has become a skill not just needed by social studies students but also by marketing managers, recruitment specialists and sales and R&D teams...