Kickstarter has gotten loads of attention as the go-to place for crowdfunding a startup, but it’s hardy the only game in town.
Chicago-based Scout, a startup out of the Sandbox incubator that uses off-the-shelf technology for low-cost home security, did its own crowdfunding. It raised more than $200,000 by taking orders from nearly 800 people who pre-ordered the security systems from Scout’s own website.
But what about traditional brick-and-mortar small businesses?
Charlie Tribbett, son of Chicago recruiting executive Charles Tribbett III, has launched Bolstr, a crowdfunding site for non-tech companies. It’s a twist on crowdfunding, which in most cases amounts to lining up customers to pay in advance for a product like Scout’s alarm system or Everpurse’s cellphone-charging purses.
Read More at Crain’s