Kickstarter Announces Hardware Studio Program To Help New Companies From Failing Campaigns

Kickstarter is a popular way for independent companies to get funding, but sometimes, inexperienced companies run into problems that derail a campaign. But now, a Kickstarter initiative hopes to make it easier for campaigns to avoid this fate. Kickstarter announced Thursday its new Hardware Studio program, which will help companies develop manufacturing planning before they start a Kickstarter campaign.

As part of the Hardware Studio program, companies can get insight about the manufacturing resources, partnerships and tools needed to ensure the campaign’s production goals are met. In a post announcing the program, Kickstarter said a major reason it started Hardware Studio was to help out hardware companies unfamiliar with the logistics and challenges behind hardware creation. According to Kickstarter, Hardware Studio is expected to launch in September.

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For companies, the Hardware Studio program will have two options for consulting. The first program will be the Hardware Studio Toolkit, which will be a community site that hosts a variety of resources for Kickstarter companies. These include free webinars from industry experts on supply chain management, design and prototyping, regular tutorials and online tools and tutorials that new companies can draw from experienced creators and Kickstarter staff.

A second program, Hardware Studio Connection, offers additional resources for companies working on more advanced and larger-scale projects. Through Hardware Studio Connection, companies can get direct advice and consultation from experts at Hardware Studio partner firms Avnet and Dragon Innovation. Companies can also get discounts and advice from Avnet and Dragon Innovation on hardware applications and supply chain setup. Companies that want to join Hardware Studio Connection need only apply to get accepted into the program.

In its post, Kickstarter detailed why it partnered with Dragon Innovation and Avnet:

"We’ve chosen two terrific collaborators for this. Dragon Innovation are a team of hardware manufacturing experts who bring years of experience and smart software to helping companies make things, while Avnet is a global technology distributor with expertise in helping customers design and make their ideas and bring them to market. Kickstarter has had a relationship with Dragon for several years, and both Dragon and Avnet have guided dozens of Kickstarter creators through the manufacturing process."

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On Kickstarter’s end, the program’s biggest goal is to help Kickstarter campaigns successfully launch their products. A 2015 study indicated the average failure rate for Kickstarter projects is around 9 percent, but the site’s highest-profile hardware campaigns are still marked by notable controversies like the Coolest Cooler and Zano. Kickstarter campaigns are never without some risk, but with the extra assistance, Kickstarter wants to make sure that more companies can successfully reach the finish line and get a product to backers.