With $9 Million and Counting, This Cooler Could Become the No. 1 Kickstarter Campaign Ever
The Coolest -- a cooler that comes equipped with a rechargeable blender for mixed drinks, a smartphone charger and other goodies -- is currently the second most funded project in the crowdfunding site's history.
By Catherine Clifford •
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A smartwatch, a cooler and a video game console -- as of today, those are the top three most funded projects to ever raise money on brand-name crowdfunding website Kickstarter.
Surprised? So are we. Tech gadgets tend to do exceptionally well on crowdfunding platforms, but for a cooler to be holding rank with a smartwatch and a video game console is a surprise and a half.
That this very same cooler failed to meet its goal of raising $125,000 when it ran a similar crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter just six months ago makes the $9 million feat even more impressive.
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Designed by serial inventor Ryan Grepper, The Coolest includes a rechargeable blender to make mixed drinks with, a removable waterproof bluetooth speaker, a smartphone charger, a lid light, a tie down for additional gear, a cooler divider and cutting board, extra-wide wheels for convenient rolling, a bottle opener and integrated plates and a knife. Check out the video, embedded below, to see how the various features fit together.
A $165 donation got early-bird campaign enthusiasts The Coolest, but those are all sold out. Currently, a campaign backer has to donate $185 to be one of the first to receive The Coolest. The coolers are expected to be delivered by February of 2015.
With another 10 days left in the Kickstarter campaign, the cooler is in spitting distance to overtake the Pebble smartwatch, currently ranking as the most funded project ever on Kickstarter, pulling in $10.3 million in donations.
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