The winners of the inaugural Crowd2Shelf Contest debut on Staples’ new entrepreneurial store. Created by Fundable and sponsored by Staples, the Crowd2Shelf Contest drew thousands of startups across the country competing for a chance to crowdfund their way to Staples.
Contestants demonstrated demand for their innovative products by gathering votes and crowdfunding pledges. A panel of innovation experts, including Fundable and Staples representatives, chose the winners based on votes, success of crowdfunding campaigns, and each judges’ understanding of what it takes for a startup to be successful.
The winning products and contestants include:
- Folding Bluetooth keyboard, Jorno: Los Angeles, Calif. (exclusive to Staples)
- Remote-controlled recessed LED lighting EVA: Wilmington, DE (exclusive to Staples)
- Outlet-mounted Bluetooth music player The Plug Radio: Hollywood, Calif. (exclusive to Staples)
- Smartphone-controlled lighting Plum: Austin, Texas
- Secure tablet holder nHand: Tulsa, Oklahoma
The debut of the online store marks the first time a retailer has used crowdfunding to determine market demand and social support in choosing products to carry. Daniel Reilly, Director of Product Design and Innovation at Staples, noted:
“We’re proud to showcase our Crowd2Shelf entrepreneurs through our new online store and help them launch their ideas. We were incredibly impressed with the caliber of startup product companies that participated and are thrilled to offer our customers these innovative new products to help them make more happen.”
Wil Schroter, CEO of Fundable, added:
“We’re pleased to see the winners of the Crowd2shelf contest now available on Staples.com. The contest has been an incredible journey for each of these startup companies, and given each of them the opportunity of a lifetime to turn a great idea into a household name.”
Have a crowdfunding offering you'd like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!
