Kickstarter Has Arrived in Asia

The popular U.S.-based crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, launched in Singapore and Hong Kong on Wednesday. The launch marks the beginning of the company’s expansion in to Asia.

Kickstarter, which launched in 2009, is a platform that allows entrepreneurs to launch projects on the website and share it with the world. They invite backers to invest money into their projects, and backers are offered rewards in exchange for their pledges.

Although residents in Asia are able to back Kickstarter projects around the world, only entrepreneurs based in North America, Australia and Europe were able to start a project until now. The company has made it easier for local creators to launch projects by officially opening Kickstarter to Singapore and Hong Kong start-ups.

Start-ups in Asia have been eager to join the phenomenon that has helped thousands of projects become a reality. The company hopes that the launch will spark a steady presence of projects coming from Asia.

Here are some projects in Singapore and Hong Kong that are now live:

The Unappropriated Recipes is a conceptual cookbook about artists' perceptions on the formulation of Hong Kong through recipes!

CROZ is a transparent digital camera with a specially designed Acrylic casing.

GIY Stick reuses bottles and fabric to make any pot self-watering.

Hydra is a simple, automated indoor plant care system, for beginners and serious gardeners alike.