From crowdfunding to e-commerce. Image: Ollyy/Shutterstock
Crowdfunding site Indiegogo is dipping into the online shopping world with its latest endeavour.
Indiegogo is one of the world’s most popular crowdfunding sites, and has made it possible for thousands of people to realise their bright ideas and creative projects.
Yesterday (16 October), the company made a rather exciting announcement: it is now moving into the land of e-commerce, selling products that are successfully crowdfunded.
Not your standard e-tailer
In an open-minded move, some products that did not originate on Indiegogo will be able to be sold on the platform, though these will be heavily vetted, according to CEO Dave Mandelbrot, in conversation with Recode.
He said: “You won’t find a lot of standard fare there. But you will find the latest electronic bicycle that’s trying to make transportation more efficient, or luggage that follows you around the airport – not the average, everyday things you find on Amazon.”
Indiegogo began to sell equity in the company last November. With that existing perk and this new e-commerce arm, it’s moving away from the traditional crowdfunding site model utilised by Kickstarter, which has reiterated that it is certainly not an online store for several years now, and its stance seems pretty immovable at present.
New consumer tech innovations
The Indiegogo Marketplace will give buyers access to innovative and new tech products such as VPN routers, smart nightlights and even mini-lenses for your smartphone that enable you to take spectacular macro photographs.
Users will see a curated homepage based on their own interests and Indiegogo will also be compiling gift guides for the gadget-lovers in your life.
According to TechCrunch, Indiegogo will take between 10 and 15pc of the sale price of products listed on Marketplace.
The move into e-commerce is a fascinating one, considering the fierce competition out there resulting in increased consumer choice. However, the unique range of products on offer may give Indiegogo the edge.
