[mchusma]

I don't think a $2.35M round is really that much for a chip startup. The fact that they even think that they can plausibly launch a chip and some level of supporting documentation, software, etc for ~$3M total, that is a remarkably efficient use of funds. By the way, Kickstarter funds are "cheap" (no dilution & no debt) so anyone who can actually raise money on Kickstarter should do so.

[runako]

I'm not qualified to evaluate how much money a modern chip startup needs to launch a product. But it's worth noting that the Kickstarter pitch doesn't mention the millions the company has raised so far (apologies if I missed that part).

>> Kickstarter funds are "cheap" (no dilution & no debt)

Of course they are, and that's kind of my point. Raising money from unsophisticated unaccredited investors without providing full disclosure or even a contract in exchange is obviously a great source of capital. However, I'm not convinced pitches like this would withstand scrutiny by the relevant regulators if they were not asleep at the switch.

I didn't mean to be overly critical of the project. I wish them all due success. That doesn't mean I can't dislike the Kickstarter campaign. (I would similarly dislike AMD raising funds on Kickstarter, even if I liked the project.)

[wmf]

They're not investors, they're donors.