Having already set the record for the most funded Kickstarter campaign twice before, it should come as little surprise that smartwatch manufacturer Pebble is set to beat their own record yet again for two new smartwatch designs and two versions of a hackable wearable.
The new Pebble lineup – properly titled the Pebble 2, Pebble Time 2 and Pebble Core – hit the company’s crowdfunding goal of $1M in just over an hour and is currently sitting at over $10.5M with 20 days left to go in the campaign. According to crowdfunding analytics tracker Kicktraq, the campaign is trending towards an impressive $23,765,844 based on current sales numbers. If the company hits that number, it will replace the Pebble Time as the Most Funded Kickstarter project of all time.
As for why the company – which has already made millions and continues to sell their products in big box retailers including Best Buy – continues to launch their new products on a platform designed for creators and startups significantly smaller and less-established, the company argues that Kickstarter lets users connect with the brand differently than a traditional product launch – particularly in the realm of transparency.
“Crowdfunding a Pebble project on Kickstarter lets us publicly share our product ideas with the world much earlier than a traditional launch,” the company explained. “[It] gives fans an opportunity to have our latest and greatest stuff first; lets us bring ideas to life together with our growing, devoted community; and helps new people who have never heard of Kickstarter discover the potential of other creative projects on the platform.”
Fair enough – although isn’t this what company blogs are for?
As for the new product lineup, it’s a nice progression from their earlier watches with a more pronounced focus on fitness and health-related applications:
Find out more over at Kickstarter.
