Kickstarter Data, Global, 2009-2023

Launched on April 28, 2009, Kickstarter is a Public Benefit Corporation based in Brooklyn, New York. It is a global crowdfunding platform that helps to fund new creative projects and ideas through direct support from individuals (backers) from around the world who pledge money to bring these projects and ideas to life.

Kickstarter supports many different kinds of projects. Everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Funding on Kickstarter is based on the all-or-nothing model. Backers who pledge their support towards a particular project won't be charged unless the funding goal has been reached. Successfully funded projects reward their backers with one-of-a-kind experiences, e.g., limited editions, or copies of the creative work being produced.

This study includes three datasets: (1) Kickstarter Project (public-use file), (2) Backer Location file, and (3) Kickstarter Project (restricted-use file). The public-use Kickstarter Project dataset contains detailed information about all successful and unsuccessful Kickstarter projects (N=610,015) from 2009-2023, including the project category and subcategory, project location (city, state (for U.S.-based projects), and country), funding goal in original and U.S. currencies, amount pledged in dollars, and the number of backers for each project. The restricted file adds the project title, 150-character project description, and the URL for the project on the Kickstarter site. The Backer Location dataset includes information about backers' country and state and the total amount pledged for each geographic location.