Kickstarter Campaign Asked For $20K, Gets Over $9 Million

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that has helped many people get funds for their projects. Some Kickstarter campaigns are more successful than others, and one man just had major success with his Kickstarter campaign.

A Chicago-based entrepreneur took to Kickstarter to raise some funds, and he was seeking to raise $20,000. The entrepreneur ended up raising far more than that on Kickstarter, and the campaign is actually one of the most successful campaigns that Kickstarter has ever had.

Hiral Sanghavi, 29, decided to use Kickstarter to try to raise the $20,000 because he needed the funds to create a travel jacket. He budgeted 58 days to get the money, but instead of raising the original amount, his Kickstarter campaign raised $9.17 million, according to Time.

Thanks to how popular his idea was, his Kickstarter campaign raised the required funds in just seven hours. The fundraiser is the fourth-most successful in Kickstarter’s history and the most successful clothing-related campaign that Kickstarter has ever had.

The Kickstarter campaign for Sanghavi’s jacket, which has features such as an eye mask, inflatable neck pillow and a phone charger pocket, was launched back in July. The Kickstarter campaign ended this past Thursday, according to CNN.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597538543/the-worlds-best-travel-jacket-with-15-features-bau

Sanghavi said that he knew his Baubax jacket idea was a good one, and he figured he would possibly be able to raise a million or two via Kickstarter. However, he said he never thought that he would have been able to raise $9 million on Kickstarter.

The Baubax jacket is available in four different styles, and it is designed to help make commuting hands-free and more comfortable for the wearers. Asides from the special phone charger pocket, neck pillow, and eye mask, other features include gloves concealed in each sleeve and an insulated cup holder.

Sanghavi got the idea for the jacket because he was always travelling in order to visit his wife. He explained that she works on the West Coast, while he is studying for his MBA in Illinois. He said the flight is long, and he tended to forget his neck pillow and would always have to buy a brand new one at the airport. His wife eventually suggested a coat with an integrated neck pillow. This led him to start a campaign on Kickstarter.

The money Sanghavi raised via Kickstarter should come in handy, as he has enlisted the help of four manufacturers, who will create the jackets. He is hoping the jackets will be in retail stores by 2016, and he will be focusing on his company, which is why he has decided to take a leave of absence from school.

The Kickstarter campaign had around 45,000 backers and more than 70,000 jackets have been ordered. Those jackets, priced between $89-$120, will be shipped in November.

[Image by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]