Kickstarter has been a major success and now it has done what any good online based service does and got itself its very own iOS app. The Kickstarter app is available for Apple’s iPhone or iPod touch from today, and it is free to download.
Kickstarter is a crowd funding website that helps startup companies find multiple investors in their idea, and as such the service is designed for those looking to get funding and those looking to give funding. With the boom in startup companies, Kickstarter has become a valuable tool, and ironically it is app creation that has become a major startup trend.
Throughout 2012, more than 2.2 million people from around the world pledged money on Kickstarter. A total of nearly $230 million was raised for 18,100 projects throughout the year; the company explained the creation of its own app in a blog post:
“To make the Kickstarter app, we took things we’ve learned from the past three years of building Kickstarter and used them to redesign the experience from the ground up. We focused on three things in particular: finding new projects, keeping up to date with projects you’ve already backed, and offering great tools for creators.”
Those familiar with the website version of Kickstarter will be comfortable with the feature set included in the app, although implementation of those features has been simplified. Users can use the Kickstarter app to browse projects through a series of categories, while they can watch videos from startups, and find companies operating near their location.
Those looking to invest will be pleased to see that the ability to pledge money is available from within the app, while there is plenty of social network integration too. Those seeking funding can use the dashboard to keep a tab on their projects, and find out who has pledged and how much.
The app is expected to be popular, so get ready to see it at or near the top of the best-selling lists.