December 08, 2014

ARM, Cambridge, U.K., Dec. 8, 2014 - This year's festive season gift list will feature more products invented by startups than ever. The likes of the Pebble watch, the Kano computer and the 360cam were all created by tiny companies using widely-available development kits with crowd sourced funding. This raises the question: "Should this year's gift be the mass produced must-have present off the production line or should it be the chance to invent next year's sensation?"

In the run-up to the holidays ARM is highlighting 50 of the inventions based on its technology that have achieved support on Kickstarter, the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. The devices were chosen by ARM from a long list of successful ideas over the last two years to be shown on a specially curated page. All were created by inventors using the same kind of ARM based technology that is enabling today's maker community.

Between them these projects have raised almost $40m and many have gone on to stellar success. The standout devices are the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift bought by Facebook in March 2014 for $2bn and the SmartThings home connectivity hub acquired by Samsung in 2012 for a reported $200m. When the Pebble watch launched on Kickstarter two years ago it attracted more than $10m and by March 2014 it had sold 400,000 units.

"Amazing things are possible when innovators connect with an audience that shares their passion," said Dominic Pajak, senior embedded strategist, ARM. "These startup projects are often solving problems outside traditional mass markets and serving new communities as well as sometimes crossing over to create high value companies. The maker movement is exploding, especially in the festive season as parents in particular seek to give their children the chance to get creative."

In total, Kickstarter has helped to attract $220m of support for more than 2,000 technology products, with a number of these new ventures going on to receive venture capital funding in excess of $300m. The 50 projects selected by ARM have been highlighted in order to inspire makers and we expect it will further accelerate the momentum behind these development platforms. The basic technology needed to create such products is now widely available with developers able to buy boards from the likes of Raspberry Pi and Arduino, with 3D printers sold by many electronic distributers.

Selection of ARM based projects on Kickstarter:

360cam: A handheld 360 degree camera that delivers recorded video, stills photos and easy real time streaming video over Wi-Fi.

Blossom: A Wi-Fi connected irrigation controller called Blossom which saves water and is easy to use and install. It has been designed to help people living in drought worldwide.

FLUX: All-in-one 3D printing, 3D scanning, laser engraving.

Kano: A self-build computer aimed at 8-11 years old children allowing them (and their parents!) to learn coding through engaging with games such as Minecraft.

LumoBack: A waist-worn sensor belt that helps correct bad posture and help in the prevention and treatment of bad backs.

For more, see ARM's curated page at Kickstarter.com/ARM

Join the conversation with industry experts during Kickstarter Week, Dec. 8-12, on the ARM Connected Community.

Contacts

Andy Winstanley
+44 1223 405244/ +44 7788 249712
Head of corporate PR, ARM
andy.winstanley@arm.com  

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