Amazon launches Build It, its crowdfunding platform

Amazon has just unveiled its new platform, Build It. Like Kickstarter, it is a platform dedicated to crowdfunding. The e-commerce giant offers various projects developed by its designers and engineers and it is up to customers to decide which objects will be manufactured. To do this, they will simply have to pre-order the item that interests them. If the project reaches a certain number of pre-orders, it will be materialized and customers will then receive their product. Otherwise, they will be refunded.

To launch Build It, Amazon unveiled three new objects for the connected home, namely a smart cuckoo clock, an equally smart nutritional scale and a sticky note printer. These three objects integrate Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa. They will therefore be controllable by voice.

Pre-orders for each of these items are open for a limited time. At the end of this period, only projects that have reached their objective will be manufactured. By doing so, Amazon tries to avoid business failures, but also to end up with large unsold stocks.

Instant success

And if the adoption of the concept of crowdfunding by a company as successful as Amazon can surprise, even shock, the bet seems rather already successful for the latter. In just one day, one of the objects – the sticky note printer – is already 50% funded.

The first campaign will end after one month. Customers will have to wait several months before receiving their order. Deliveries are not expected until July, at best, if the projects are fully funded.

Note, however, that the Build It platform is currently only accessible to American customers.