It’s a good time to be a hardware entrepreneur.

Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter help you validate an idea before building it - which matters to hardware because gadgets can be costly to build.

And hardware projects are feeling the love - the top 443 projects on Kickstarter and Indiegogo (of all time) raised a total of $187.5 million in crowdfunding.

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More importantly, crowdfunding levels the fundraising game for less connected entrepreneurs. You don’t need business connections and investors if you have a product people want, and effective word-of-mouth tactics. The hardware businesses listed here use referral programs to maximize their word-of-mouth, some of them (LIFX, Mellow, Pebble) major crowdfunding successes.

Here are some examples:

1: Nomad – cables and chargers for the modern nomad

2: Fitbit – mobile activity trackers

3: Frontpoint Security – wireless home security systems

4: Amazon UK Kindle – touchscreen e-reader

5: LIFX  – smart wifi lightbulb

6: Sol Republic – wireless bluetooth headphones

7: Automatic –wireless car/phone adapter

8: Mellow – smart sous vide machine

We've actually interviewed Mellow on our blog, check them out here: How Mellow Made $200,000+ In Preorder Sales In Less Than A Month

• For more examples of referral programs in other verticals, check out our Referral Program Examples category.
• If you're looking for more customer acquisition content relevant to hardware startups, head over to Customer Acquisition Resources For Hardware Startups.