Top 5 Tech Crowdfunding Campaigns of 2016

I thought it might be too early to compile this list but then I thought; I’m probably just making up excuses to log in some Pokemon Go time. So I watched a couple of TED talks, got motivated and got to writing (I sacrificed hunting Pokemon for work 🙂 One would say “you sir, have will power and are worthy of the Green Lantern Corps). So let’s get to it.

I occasionally browse crowdfunding platforms to get up to speed on the upcoming craze and weird essentials in tech gadgets and websites. As one would assume, the first stop was Kickstarter and I immediately found the very best, filtered from the rest (you guys need to take your Head of Product out for drinks!). I eventually got around to visiting Indiegogo, RocketHub, JumpStart and StartMe and compiled a list of 5 Best Tech Crowdfunding Projects of 2016.

These products are on the fast track to becoming successful companies. Some projects were funded almost 5,000% and a few come close to 1,000% We’re going to see some awesome stuff on the shelves this summer so let’s get started with our list:

5.)  Portal: Turbocharged WiFi.

Portal is a device that will turbo charge your wifi when the network gets crowded. It let’s you stream Ultra HD videos without buffering and play massive bandwidth-demanding Internet games without lagging. You simply connect your Portal device to a Wifi network of your choosing, then connect your phone to Portal device and you’re good to go.

It claims to do this by using “spectrum turbocharger technology” that accesses 300% more of the radio airwaves than any other router, improving performance by as much as 300x, and range and coverage by as much as 2x in crowded settings, such as city homes and multi-unit apartments.

4.) BiCable.

BiCable fits in both Micro USB (Most Android devices) and Lightning devices (iOS devices). The innovation here is in the product, rather than the applications but useful nonetheless. It will go for $50 when it hits the market.

3.) Nura Headphones.

This was pretty cool! Nura headphones adapt to your unique hearing profile within 30 seconds of usage. The headphones use “unique sound wave technology” to automatically measure your hearing and plays your music just perfectly for you.

2.) Walli Wearables – Smart Wallet.

Walli is the first ever smart wallet that connects to your phone via wireless network and sends a notification to your phone if you forgot your wallet at home, running low on cash or forgot important cards and IDs like your driver’s licences or ATM card.

I found this particular campaign very cool because I’m one to usually forget my wallet at the office or at a restaurant table. The wallet has censors in the cash and card slots that you can program with the app. You tell the wallet which slot is for what and it reminds you accordingly.

1.) Knocki.

Knocki is possibly the coolest device I’ve seen in a really long time (that equates to six months in the tech world). It makes any surface smart, allowing you to control your home from a designated area on the wall or coffee table. The device registers your hand gestures and executes commands accordingly (eg: tap the wall once to turn lights on or double tapping your coffee table to locate your phone). Basically, you can make a remote control off of just about anything!

These campaigns have raised and average of over 550% of their crowdfunding goals. Some have already hit the shelves while others start rolling out later in the year. Comment below with a link(s) of other cool crowdfunding campaigns that I might have missed.