BackerKit, a maker of software tools for successful crowdfunders, has launched a beta of its Crowdfunding Partners platform, which makes it easy for fulfillment houses, e-commerce tools, and other services to build apps for crowdfunders. The platform gives businesses an API to plug directly into crowdfunding projects, enabling a wide range of possibilities.
According to the platform hundreds of successful crowdfunders, including Canary and Soylent, have used BackerKit’s software as a self-service hub for hundreds of thousands of their backers, and as a tool to manage over $41,000,000 in pledged rewards.
In the fast growing, multi-billion dollar crowdfunding economy, there is a tremendous need for services to help those who raise a significant amount of money from thousands of backers, but this also can create a logistical challenge of fulfilling a large scale project. Fulfillment houses, and other services, are set up for traditional business models, and cannot integrate with the major crowdfunding platforms.
Maxwell Salzberg, BackerKit’s co-founder, is optimistic the launch represents an important advance in the crowdfunding ecosystem:
“For the last year, we’ve been helping project creators be makers, rather than managers. There are tons of great companies that can help project creators be successful, but coming up with a way to integrate them into the crowdfunding community has been a huge barrier. When I ran a large crowdfunding project three years ago, fulfillment companies wouldn’t touch my project with a ten foot pole. But now we are putting things within reach. Whether you need a fulfillment company, mailing lists, an e-commerce store, or other services, BackerKit’s partner platform is the engine that is going to help you get there, so you can focus on making new stuff.”
Fulfillrite is the first fulfillment company to integrate with the Crowdfunding Partners platform, betting that successful crowdfunders are the next wave of business owners, who will cultivate fruitful, long-term relationships.
Salzberg notes that;
“Fulfillrite is a terrific partner. Now, with one click, project creators using Indiegogo, Kickstarter, or Crowdtilt Open can seamlessly send their orders directly from their BackerKit dashboard. There has never been an easier way to get crowdfunded goods into the hands of customers.”
Other companies seeking to work with crowdfunding projects can sign up for the beta of the Crowdfunding Partners platform on the BackerKit website.