Kickstarter Has Generated 29,600 Full-Time Jobs Since Its Launch

With the money they raise on Kickstarter, innovators are able to form new companies, build their production teams, and launch large-scale creative projects. Now, thanks to a study from the University of Pennsylvania, we can a number on just how big the Kickstarter economy truly is. According to the study, successful Kickstarter campaigns have allowed for the creation of 8,800 new companies that have collectively created 29,600 new jobs.

According to Variety, the UPenn study was first shared earlier this month, but it has gained more attention thanks to a July 28th Kickstarter blog post. The post, authored by Kickstarter co-founder and CEO Yancey Strickler, shared some of the most salient statistics from the study. Among other numbers, UPenn’s research reveals that 283,000 temporary workers have joined the full-timers by working on successful Kickstarter projects. Many of those projects go on the generate revenue beyond their initial funding phase, and the study estimates the gross income for Kickstarter-funded companies at more than $5.3 billion

. And Kickstarter-funded companies have staying power, too; 82% of them are still in business.

What’s so important is that Kickstarter (as well as fellow crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and Patreon) have fostered these financial successes with forcing users to compromise their creative integrity. “Creators reported that Kickstarter afforded them the creative independence they would not have been able to achieve through other funding avenues, and allowed them to bring their project to life without compromising their vision,” writes Strickler. “These are conditions that empower creators to aim high and take the creative risks needed to fuel innovation.”

Beyond the data cited in UPenn’s report, additional Kickstarter figures can be found via the company’s own statistics page.