Kickstarter Campaign Raises Record $44 Million (So Far) With 3D UV Printer Designed for Entrepreneurs: 'Overwhelming Support' The Kickstarter campaign is the most funded project in the history of the crowdfunding site, with pledges from 17,220 individual backers.
By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- A personal creative tool from eufyMake has broken Kickstarter records.
- eufyMake’s E1 printer is a UV printer capable of printing textured, colorful designs onto mugs, banners, and tote bags.
- The printer has raised over $44 million on Kickstarter in two months.
When eufyMake, the creative tool brand under electronics company Anker Innovations, launched a Kickstarter campaign in April, it had an ambitious goal — to raise half a million dollars within two months to fund a new 3D printer, capable of printing designs on everything from blocks of wood to tote bags.
The campaign immediately took off, raising over $10 million in 14 hours, according to a press release.
Now, with less than two days to go before the campaign ends, Seattle-based eufyMake has raised over $44 million, breaking the Kickstarter record for the most funded project in the history of the crowdfunding site. (The previous record of $41.7 million was set by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter campaign in March 2022 for four new novels.)
"We're incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support from our backers," Frank Zhu, senior vice president of Anker Innovations and Eufy business group lead, stated in the press release. "Thanks to our community, we're not just launching a product — we're helping more people turn their ideas into something real."
The product that has garnered interest from 17,220 individual backers is EufyMake's UV printer, which could enable businesses to create new products. UV printers, or ultraviolet curing inkjet printers, use UV light to dry inks instantly as they are printed on a variety of materials, like wood, metal, and glass.
EufyMake claims to have made the world's first personal UV printer, the E1. The printer turns 2D designs into 3D-textured artwork, with no prior experience with the technology required. A user places any surface under the printer and can print out a personalized message, photo, or design on the surface. There's a 3D element — the printer can stack filament to create texture in the finished product.
The E1 is capable of printing directly on objects like phone cases, laptops, tote bags, cups, or banners, opening the doors for businesses that focus on customized products. The printer has a maximum print area of 180 by 130 millimeters, and can work with objects up to 50 millimeters thick.
The E1 costs nearly $2,000, but the price tag hasn't deterred backers. One popular option on Kickstarter, with over 3,700 backers at the time of writing, is the sold-out $1,970 early bird E1 rotary bundle, which allows users to print on cups, tumblers, and ceramic mugs as well as print 3D textures up to 5 millimeters in height on solid surfaces. The estimated delivery for the bundle is in July.
Options still available for sale include the E1 Basic Bundle kit, which is priced at $1,900. The bundle is capable of printing 3D textures that are up to 5 millimeters in height on metal, wood, acrylic, ceramic, and solid materials. Nearly 100 backers have chosen this option at the time of writing, and the estimated delivery window for the product is in August.
The most expensive option still available for sale is the $2,752 deluxe bundle, which allows users to print designs on fabrics like tote bags, wallets, and hats, as well as print on flat surfaces like banners.
The E1 Kickstarter campaign closes on June 28 at 9:57 a.m. Eastern Time.
