Kickstarter punts projects toward goals

Despite being considered the largest crowdfunding site worldwide, only creators with a US bank account could take part initially. But British innovators can now try their luck. In the first week, they launched 171 projects, raising more than 588,000 pounds from more than 15,000 pledges.

"It oozes creativity. It's about exciting, passionate people doing things, rather than other sites where it sort of feels like it's about the money," Holmes says, as she sips from a cup of Starbucks tea that was not to her liking. "It was an amazing market research exercise because people have the opportunity to choose whom they want to exist, and if they want your idea to come to life, then they help it happen."

Festive discovery

Truffles in braised pork

Holmes is lucky the online community liked her idea.

The money never materializes for 56 percent of those bidding for funds on Kickstarter.

Backers can pledge between $1 and $10,000, but their donations are only taken once the project's funding goals are reached.

In return, they are guaranteed nothing but the satisfaction of participating in a new creative process.

Holmes will give 95 backers who pledged between 15-25 pounds a bag of tea, an illustrated postcard, a loyalty card and their names listed on her website as founding supporters.

"Once you get people involved in it they want it to work, too," says 33-year-old Adam Smith, who has already raised more than 5,000 pounds from 92 backers to publish an illustrated children's book.

He's also a donor and gave money to support another children's book.

"I just think if you want to be a part of Kickstarter, you've got to be part of the community, and you've got to wish other people well," he says.

Kickstarter isn't only creators backing other creators.

Some, like Alex Clymo, a 24-year-old PhD student at the London School of Economics, have only used Kickstarter to pledge. He made a modest contribution to an iPhone video game developed by two Americans and will receive a copy of the game when it's finished.

"I wanted to be a part of it. It's very much about feeling part of a project," Clymo says.

Although Holmes says it was "terrifying" to put her idea on Kickstarter to be scrutinized, she exceeded her 10,000 pounds funding goal by 146 percent.

She even had backers from other countries, who may never see her tea van cruising along London's streets - but will surely ride with her in spirit.

Agence France-Presse