Indiegogo: Pioneers of Crowdfunding
Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell revolutionized the crowdfunding landscape by focusing their platform on flexible (and non-traditional) funding options.
Entrepreneurs can retain the funds they raise, even if they fall short of their target. This unparalleled flexibility empowered innovation and removed the barriers that often impede progress.
In the bustling world of Wall Street in 2002, Danae Ringelmann, an astute analyst, found herself co-producing a compelling reading of an Arthur Miller play. Despite its popularity among audiences, the financial prospects were dishearteningly meager. This experience sparked Ringelmann’s quest for alternative avenues of revenue, leading her on a path to redefine fundraising as we know it today.
Inspired by her encounters with independent filmmakers and theater producers, Ringelmann embarked on a mission to democratize the fundraising landscape. In 2007, under the name Project Keiyaku, Ringelmann, Rubin, and Schell honed their revolutionary concept, laying the foundation for what would become Indiegogo. The platform made its official debut at the illustrious Sundance Film Festival in January 2008, setting its sights on empowering filmmakers and their projects. The platform quickly gained traction, attracting attention from MTV New Media, leading to a fruitful partnership aimed at fostering new content from Indiegogo’s diverse range of projects.
Recognizing the immense potential of Indiegogo, renowned venture capital firms joined forces to fuel its growth. In September 2011, a groundbreaking $1.5 million Seed financing round was spearheaded by Metamorphic Ventures, ff Venture Capital, MHS Capital, and Steve Schoettler, co-founder of Zynga. The platform’s innovative spirit caught the attention of President Barack Obama’s Startup America, which forged a partnership with Indiegogo in February 2012, providing aspiring entrepreneurs in the United States with the opportunity to leverage the power of crowdfunding.
Crowdfunding for new and groundbreaking products.
Co-Founders: Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin & Eric Schell
Last Funding Stage: Series B
Vector: Human Machine Interaction
$55M
Funding to Date
Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, & Eric Schell
Co-Founders