Launching a project on Kickstarter: issues of financial security and legal support. About the crowdfunding platform "Kickstarter" ("Kickstarter") What is Kickstarter and how to use it

Today, such a complex word as “crowdfunding” may seem completely incomprehensible to people of the older generation and old-school businessmen, but among young, progressive entrepreneurs or startuppers and creative personalities This term has become firmly established in recent years. So what is the essence of crowdfunding?

The essence of this process is open collection Money for the implementation of a particular project. Projects are placed on one of the crowdfunding platforms, after which anyone can become a sponsor of the project. In this article, we will consider the main issues of financial security and legal aspects of launching a project on crowdfunding platforms.

Kickstarter (kickstarter.com)

It can easily be called the most popular crowdfunding platform. Part of this popularity is due to the fact that Kickstarter was a pioneer in the world of crowdfunding. Creative people, engineers and inventors from all over the world are striving to bring their project to this platform. The basic operating principle of the platform is all or nothing, that is, you are paid the collected money only if the planned amount is reached. If you don’t get a couple of thousand dollars, all previously collected funds are returned to the sponsors’ accounts.

So, creating a project on Kickstarter is currently available to individuals in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg .

An individual must meet the following requirements:

be over 18 years of age;
be a permanent resident of the above countries;
register the project in your name or on behalf of the company you represent;
have an address, bank account, identification card in the country in which the project is being created (if the project is being created by an individual, then its associated bank account must belong to a person who has passed the identity verification procedure and is participating in the project);
have a registered and verified Stripe business account (stripe.com);
have a credit or debit bank card.

As you can see, Ukraine is not on the list of countries, but this does not prevent our compatriots from carrying out successful campaigns to raise funds on Kickstarter. One of these Ukrainians is the team, which in just 2 days managed to raise $100,000 to implement their project. To repeat their success, it takes more than just a brilliant idea and a team. You still need to collect a substantial package of documents and go through more than one verification procedure. You can do this in the following ways:

Have a reliable partner on your team who is a permanent resident of one of the above countries and has an identity card ( ID), address, number social insurance, telephone.

Having such a partner, you can trust him to register all necessary documents, namely:

registration of a legal entity;
obtaining an address for a company;
opening a bank account, receiving a bank card;
registration and verification of your account on stripe.com.

Keep in mind that this person must be well aware of the specifics of completing the above documents and opening a company. It should be noted that getting such a person into your team, also for free, will be very difficult.

Use the services of an intermediary with successful experience in launching a project on Kickstarter.

The intermediary will help you prepare all the documents and create a company (or provide a ready-made one) to launch your project. This should significantly relieve you of your workload and allow you to fully concentrate on project creation, presentation and marketing. But you should understand that the intermediary will require proper payment for his services. Usually this is a fixed amount, approximately $1000 + 5-20% of the amount of funds you have collected.

To protect yourself from fraud on the part of the intermediary, it is recommended to enter into an agreement that clearly states the role of the intermediary, the price of his services, as well as the mechanism for transferring the collected funds to your bank accounts, since after the completion of the campaign, all collected funds are transferred to the intermediary’s bank account.

Of course, there is always a risk that the intermediary will not give up your collected millions, but if there is an agreement, you have every reason to go to court to protect your rights. This agreement It is best to conclude in the presence of a qualified lawyer who has previously reviewed the contract.

It should be noted that the attitude of the Kickstarter administration towards the use of intermediaries is rather negative, but no one forbids you to include an intermediary in the project team and remove all possible claims.

Hire a consulting agency or law firm.

As in the case of an intermediary, the consulting agency will take on all the legal and financial hassles, but these services will cost more than the services of an intermediary. Also, a fixed fee is charged for the agency’s services, which means the consulting agency makes money regardless of whether your project is successful or not. In this regard, it is best to use the services of a company or agency with a name and reputation.

Taxes and commissions or how much money goes to the creator of the project?

After the successful completion of the Kickstarter fundraising campaign, it is time for the project creator to pay commissions and taxes. So here's how it happens:

After graduation successful company Kickstarter charges a commission of 5% of the total amount you raise.
For every donation less than $10, the bank takes a commission of approximately 2.9% + $0.30 from each transaction, and if the donation exceeds $10 - 5.0% + 0.05% from each transaction.
If the project creator was individual, then you must pay income tax, which varies depending on the country and the amount collected and can reach 50%.
Commission of an intermediary or consulting agency (if hired).

As you can see, taxes and commissions can significantly reduce the amount of funds you raise using Kickstarter, so you should create a budget necessary for project implementation, with including all taxes and commissions. Also, in order to optimize taxation and select the appropriate country for your project, it is recommended to contact specialists experienced in these matters.

Ask questions and receive qualified advice from LEX LIGA lawyers in the comments!

Kickstarter is not so much interesting as it is an amazing and useful project (and what is valued if not these two qualities?) to provide an initial start interesting ideas. The essence of the work is this: someone submits an application for sponsorship, where they describe in vivid colors (or not so much) the essence and details of their idea, from launching the Death Star to creating a console on Android. After that, people “all Kickstarters” donate a dollar or a million to him for the implementation of the initial ideas of the idea, and thus provide the innovator with a fun start. Kickstarter raised quite a lot of interesting and useful ideas that were primarily of interest to people, not investors (otherwise the instigators would have approached investors directly, right?).

In 2014, French engineer Edwin Van Ruimbeke created a very unusual robot, the Bionic Bird, which is a bird that flies with realistic flapping of its wings. Five years later, the craftsman declared himself again, and this time presented an even more sophisticated mechanism - he designed a tiny MetaFly butterfly, which from a distance is difficult to distinguish from a living creature. The mechanical insect can be controlled using a remote control remote control and, most likely, anyone will be able to do this, because the robot will be available for purchase.

From time to time I scroll through the pages of the crowdfunding portal Kickstarter in search of new ones. Yes, there is a chance that they will never reach the point of real implementation, but sometimes it is so interesting to watch the flight of human thought. This site brings together thousands of engineers, designers and just dreamers who strive to

In a motionless state. Before it starts working, it needs to be spinned up using external source energy. The following options are practically used:

Human muscular strength

Used when starting low power engines. On outboard motors and chainsaws, they pull a cable wound around the flywheel or starting drum (“ rope starter "); on motorcycles they use a sharp pressure with the foot on a special lever ( kickstarter ); on mopeds - pedaling bicycle type; on cars - turn the crankshaft starting (winding) handle (“crooked starter”). Muscular power is always available and does not depend on battery charge, etc. However, this starting method is not very convenient to use; more often it is used as a backup. On modern cars, as a rule, the use of a “crooked starter” is not provided for at all.

There are also manual inertia starters , in which a small flywheel is spun by a handle (through a step-up gearbox), and when it has accumulated the required amount of kinetic energy, this flywheel is connected through a gearbox (reducer) to the crankshaft of the engine being started. This method allows you to increase starting power and not create excessive forces on the starting handle. In the USSR, such starters were installed on some T-16, T-25 tractors and small marine diesel engines.

For a long time, the manual method was the main method for starting piston engines of aircraft - everyone is familiar with the chronicle footage when the crankshaft of an aircraft engine is spun by pulling the propeller by hand. This method ceased to be used with the increase in engine power, because muscular strength it was simply not enough to turn the shaft of a heavy and powerful engine, often also equipped with a gearbox.

Electric starter

The most convenient way. When starting, the engine is spun by a brushed DC motor powered by a battery (after starting, the battery is recharged by a generator driven by the main engine). But it has one significant drawback: in order to crank the crankshaft of a cold engine, especially in winter, it needs a large starting current, which is supplied by the battery, which rapidly loses maximum current and capacity as the temperature drops. Sometimes, together with the use of too viscous oil, this makes starting in cold weather impossible.

Electric motors of automobile starters have a special design with four brushes, which allows to reduce the rotor resistance, increase the rotor current and the power of the electric motor.

Auxiliary internal combustion engine

The main engine is started by another engine internal combustion, lower power (the so-called “launcher”); This method is used on many tractors. The starting engine is usually a two-stroke carburetor, its power is approximately 10% of the power of the main engine. This ensures reliable starting in any conditions. The auxiliary engine itself is started manually (by pulling the cable) or using an electric starter.

Compressed air

Used to start large diesel engines on diesel locomotives, ships and armored vehicles. Previously, this method was the main one for starting piston engines in aviation. In addition to the usual intake and exhaust valves, additional starting valves are installed in the cylinders. When starting, they open in such an order that the air entering the cylinders through them pushes the pistons and spins the engine. Tanks with compressed air are replenished from the compressor driven by the main engine during its operation.

Direct Start

The German company BOSCH published the results of experiments to study the possibility of direct (without external cranking) starting a gasoline engine with direct fuel injection. The bottom line is this: in an idle engine with 4 or more cylinders, in one of the cylinders the piston is in the position corresponding to the working stroke. Knowing the position of the crankshaft, you can calculate the volume of air in this cylinder, inject the required dose of fuel there and ignite it with a spark. The piston will begin to move, rotating the crankshaft. Then the process develops like an avalanche and the engine starts. The experiment was considered successful, but, as BOSCH management says, Direct Start is still far from being used on production vehicles.

Exotic ways

A car (like a motorcycle) with a manual transmission can be started by towing it with another car (or pushing it with your hands, this is called “push starting”), as well as accelerating it while the gear is engaged on an inclined road.

When the battery is low, you often have to connect to the battery of another car (this is called “lighting”).

In principle, you can start the motor by spinning it with an electric motor powered from an external power supply. The power and operating time of such a network starter are almost unlimited, but it is not possible to connect to the electrical network everywhere.

To start the engine after a short shutdown, a flywheel-drive was proposed: spun by the engine while driving, it then allows you to start the engine without loading the battery.

Ignition at start

For engines with spark ignition, the problem of powering the ignition system at the time of startup is also relevant. Conventional generators with electromagnets require some time to self-excite, so at the moment of starting the ignition is powered only by the battery. As a result, the IZH and Ural motorcycles do not start when the battery is discharged, although the start is carried out by a kick starter rather than an electric starter. This problem is solved by using a generator with permanent magnets (as on the Minsk and Voskhod motorcycles) or magnetos, which provide current immediately, but such generators have less power. The problem becomes much less severe when using electronic ignition, but it is also unable to operate if the battery is completely discharged. The problem of a completely dead battery is aggravated by the fact that modern generators use excitation windings instead of permanent magnets. This means that even with a rotating motor (for example, a towed car), there will be no spark.

In addition to problems with power supply to the ignition system, there is also a problem with mixture formation when starting a cold engine. At low temperatures The fuel does not evaporate completely enough in the carburetor, which is why it enters the combustion chamber in the form of droplets, which can “flood” the spark plug. Free from this disadvantage

Collective financing (crowdfunding) of projects on the Internet is gaining popularity. Catching the wave, American businessmen launched the Kickstarter.com project. This site is designed to search for and attract investments to implement planned ideas. Both entrepreneurs and representatives can use the resource’s services to search for investments. creative professions: directors, writers, musicians, game developers, artists, screenwriters.

How crowdfunding works on Kickstarter.com

The scheme of the project is simple. The site user puts forward an idea and describes it, indicates the required amount for implementation and the deadline for raising funds. Sometimes a user may offer a reward for those who donate to him, such as a free T-shirt with his logo.

It should be noted that donations are collected on a voluntary basis, and a free T-shirt is all that the donor will receive from the implementation of the idea. The sponsor of a certain project has the right to monitor its implementation, monitor the progress of fundraising and the timing of the project, but does not have the right to receive interest from the profit of the author of the idea, cannot claim a share, shares of the formed company, etc.

The money collected is sent to an account created using the Amazon Payments system. Those who want to support their favorite idea make a donation to the account, determining the amount themselves. After a predetermined time has elapsed, fundraising ends. If the required amount is collected, the money is transferred to the author’s account.

If the required amount has not been collected by the specified deadline, the collection will still stop and the proceeds will be cancelled. This should encourage authors to strive to present their idea as best as possible and to interest as many people as possible, attracting them to their project.

Kickstarter participants have the opportunity to use the site as a platform to test and sell their products for free.

IN currently The Kickstarter system is only available to US residents. However, there are no significant obstacles to opening such a resource in our country.

This material will tell you about the most popular crowdfunding platform in Russia, Kickstarter. Some facts about this resource and numerical statistics will be given that will allow you to fully understand the scope and effectiveness of this project, which has helped many people in their endeavors.

Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter , which can be accessed by going to “kickstarter.com,” is an excellent solution for various projects for owners who have financial problems. If a person has a great idea, he can find support from a huge number of people. Already many musicians, researchers, writers and others creative people brought their plans to life thanks to Kickstarter.
To receive support on a crowdfunding platform, project authors promise various benefits to those who help them. This may be the first copy of a product, some unique opportunity, compensation, etc.

“Kickstarter” in Russian is fundamental the new kind investments in various solutions that have prospects for development.

Today, Kickstarter occupies a leading position among other platforms and is the standard. In 2012, through Kickstarter, people were able to raise $320 million, the year before – 480 million, and last year about $530 million was invested in various ideas. The pace of investment is growing steadily. The concept of the site is that one good idea will be able to collect a large number of followers.

The Kickstarter crowdfunding platform is based on the “all or nothing” principle, and this makes the platform incredibly effective. This means that the project can only receive money if the amount required for it is reached. If the target investment level is not achieved, the project will receive nothing.

However, there is another side to the success of the pioneer of the crowdfunding market. There are a huge number of projects raising funds on Kickstarter, so a new project needs to somehow stand out from the rest in order to achieve its goal.

Often, becoming noticeable is a whole problem that lies entirely on the shoulders of the project author.

Of course, over time, certain methods for promoting the project were formed, which have proven themselves. As a rule, the author begins by notifying his closest friends in in social networks, and so on. The project placed on the site does not tolerate laziness on the part of the author. The project needs to be given attention all the time. The author must maintain contact with supporters of his project, notify them of the slightest changes and breakthroughs. Those who support the idea should always be aware of the latest developments related to the project.

The situation will become positive for the author if his project begins to gain momentum and funds pay attention to it mass media, which will make a huge contribution to the popularity of the project. According to statistics, approximately half of all projects do not reach their fundraising goal. 12% of all projects receive no support at all.

If we go back a little in time, only residents of the Netherlands, USA, England, Canada, New Zealand and Australia could register on Kickstarter. At that time, a not entirely legal market was formed, in which people offered the services of a resident, demanding in return 15% of the total cost of the promoted project. Last year was marked by the expansion of the registration list: now citizens of Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway can register on the most popular platform.

It is worth noting that previously in the United States it was possible to support any project only through the Amazon Payments payment system. However, this year payments were opened through Stripe, which is a more modern service.

Last year, the function of instant project activation without the participation of a moderator was launched, and it also became possible to receive advice from the manager at any time. The regulations for using the site have also been significantly simplified. At the end of 2014, Kickstarter received a B Corporation certification. This document confirms the site’s compliance with all international standards.

Some statistics about Kickstarter:

The recommended period for project placement is 30 days. However, you can place it for a period of one day to two months.
The number of site personnel is 57 people. One half is busy improving the service, the other half is working with people.
Since 2009, more than 9 million people have invested on Kickstarter.
Successful projects pay a system commission of 5%. Another 5% goes to payment services.
Since Kickstarter began, nearly $1.5 billion has been invested in various projects.

Thanks to Kickstarter, the world has received a fundamental new uniform attracting investment, and also showed that if people believe in something, it will not be difficult to bring it to life.