On August 26, 2014, at around 10:00 PM EST, after 862 days, the Coolest Cooler took over Pebble‘s spot as the most funded project in Kickstarter history. While Coolest Cooler is the latest project to hold the crown, it’s not the first. Thirteen projects have held the title of Kickstarter’s all-time most funded project. Here they are in chronological order.
Raised: $3,329
Goal: $3,000
Most funded for: 22 days
Reign: 4/28/2009 — 5/19/2009
This project was the first #1 mostly because it was one of the first projects on Kickstarter, period. It launched the same day the site did with its creators including two Kickstarter co-founders.
Allison Weiss Makes a Full Length Record
Raised: $7,711
Goal: $2,000
Most funded for: 31 days
Reign: 5/19/2009 — 6/17/2009
Just three weeks into Kickstarter’s existence Allison Weiss blew past her goal in two days. Her project instantly became the model for everyone else.
Help Polyvinyl Save 10,000 Records From Destruction
Raised: $15,625
Goal: $1,000
Most funded for: 57 days
Reign: 6/17/2009 — 8/14/2009
A great record label sells a lot of records early on in Kickstarter history.
Release the next Five Times August Album
Raised: $20,546
Goal: $20,000
Most funded for: 35 days
Reign: 8/14/2009 — 9/19/2009
A project of this size is typical now, but $20,000 felt like $1 million in 2009. Plus, it did it in just 31 days when a typical project duration was double that.
The Vanderbilt Republic Foundation: “Masters”
Raised: $50,264
Goal: $50,000
Most funded for: 27 days
Reign: 9/19/2009 — 10/15/2009
This photography project was the first Kickstarter mentioned by the blog Daring Fireball, whose posts have generated pledges for many of the projects on this list.
Designing Obama
Raised: $84,613
Goal: $65,000
Most funded for: 235 days
Reign: 10/15/2009 — 5/13/2010
Arguably the first Kickstarter blockbuster, Scott Thomas’ art book about the 2008 Obama campaign was especially notable because he served as the campaign’s Design Director.
Decentralize the Web with Diaspora
Raised: $200,641
Goal: $10,000
Most funded for: 162 days
Reign: 5/13/2010 — 10/21/2010
Diaspora raised more money in one day than any other project had ever, and became an internet phenomenon in the process.
Save Blue Like Jazz
Raised: $345,992
Goal: $125,000
Most funded for: 34 days
Reign: 10/21/2010 — 11/25/2010
Blue Like Jazz was launched by two fans after the film’s financiers unexpectedly pulled out of the production. Four weeks later the project had tripled its goal, and the film opened nationwide in more than 100 theaters last Friday, April 13, 2012.
TikTok + LunaTik
Raised: $942,578
Goal: $15,000
Most funded for: 441 days
Reign: 11/25/2010 — 2/8/2012
The TikTok came out of nowhere to change what everyone thought was possible on Kickstarter, including us. It raised just shy of $1 million on a $15,000 goal, and was the most-funded project on Kickstarter for well over a year.
Elevation Dock
Raised: $1,464,706
Goal: $75,000
Most funded for: 6 hours
Reign: 2/8/2012 — 2/8/2012
The Elevation Dock was the first Kickstarter project to exceed $1 million in pledges and the first to topple the TikTok. However its reign was extremely short-lived. Only six hours later, the next project in our list topped it.
Double Fine Adventure
Raised: $3,336,371
Goal: $400,000
Most funded for: 65 days
Reign: 2/8/2012 — 4/17/2012
Double Fine raised its first $1 million in less than a day and went on to raise more than three times that. Its big funding total felt destined for a TikTok-type reign. And then along came the Pebble…
Pebble
Goal: $100,000
Raised: $10,266,245
Most funded for: 862 days
Reign: 4/17/2012 —8/26/2014
Meet Pebble, the new #1. How long will it hold the top spot? Where will its funding end? With 30 days to go and funding already over $4 million, it’s hard to say. Make your guess at the Pebble’s final tally in the comments below.
The Pebble ultimately ended up holding down the number one spot for longer than any other record-holder. Its creators chose to cap the number of watches they would give to backers, slowing its funding toward the end. That opened the door to an eventual challenge from…
Coolest Cooler: 21st Century Cooler that’s Actually Cooler
Goal: $50,000
Raised: $10,394,043 and rising
Most funded for: ?
Reign: 8/26/2014—?
When creator Ryan Grepper brought an earlier version of his cooler to Kickstarter in December 2013, he didn’t reach quite reach his goal of $125,000. The second time around, he raised more than 200 times his $50,000 goal. Let’s raise a tasty blended beverage to perseverance!
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