KickStarter

Kickstarter is an American public-benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity and merchandising. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life".Kickstarter has reportedly received more than $1.9 billion in pledges from 9.4 million backers to fund 257,000 creative projects, such as films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, technology and food-related projects.

People who back Kickstarter projects are offered tangible rewards or experiences in exchange for their pledges.This model traces its roots to subscription model of arts patronage, where artists would go directly to their audiences to fund their work.

Kickstarter是一間於2009年在美國紐約成立、最初基於美國人後來拓展至各國的產品募資平台，它透過該網站進行公眾募資以提供人們進行創意專案的籌集資金。

Kickstarter有許多種創意專案募集資金，譬如電影、音樂、舞台劇、漫畫、新聞學、電視遊戲以及與食物有關的專案，或者是一些科技產品等等，形式包羅萬象。只是考慮到募資平台的特性，規定人們不能透過Kickstarter作為投資專案來賺錢，也就是說被投資方不可能回報金錢。因而他們以返還實物獎勵（但可以標價）或者獨一無二的經驗給資助者來回饋，像一本寫著感謝的筆記、客製的T恤、與作家共進晚餐，或者一個新產品的最初體驗。