Since its inception in late April 2009, Kickstarter has seen ever-increasing attention to become the leader in the crowdfunding game. That position solidified Monday, when the company announced that it had surpassed the $1 billion pledge milestone.
According to the company, more than half of that money was raised in just the last 12 months, showing Kickstarter’s rapid growth in 2013 — no doubt bolstered by multi-million dollar projects projects like theĀ Veronica Mars movie. But, interestingly enough, the bulk of Kickstarter’s pledge money comes from repeat backers: roughly $619 million can be attributed to people who’ve pledged more than once, a sign that the startup is actually creating a relatively sustainable culture for crowdfunding.
Some other insights:
- 5.7 million people have pledged money on Kickstarter.
- 15,932 users have backed more than 50 projects on the website.
- Users from all seven continents have pledged money to a project.
- The U.S. accounts for more than half of all money pledged on the site.
- Wednesday makes the most money
There is no good way to compare Kickstarter’s growth, as it is a trailblazer in crowdfunding, but the rapid increase in pledge volume the company has seen in the last year is a sign that the practice is now hitting the mainstream.

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