October 16 Crowdfunding Report: Now Home Takes the Top Spot
A cordless vacuum cleaner powered by a Samsung battery raised 18.75 million won, marking the largest single fundraiser in the crowdfunding market.
An analysis of 80 crowdfunding projects (from 66 companies) recorded in public data showed that home appliances, AI tools, and kids' content dominated the top of the funding rankings. Now Home Co.'s 550W auto-dust-emptying cordless vacuum with a Samsung battery raised 18,758,000 won to claim the overall No. 1 spot. IQBox's collaboration product between Playmobil and the European Space Agency (ESA) followed with 15,587,900 won. A single-fruit offering of 500-gram "King Peaches" secured 15,701,300 won, demonstrating the strength of the food category.
Consumer Patterns Revealed in Category-Level Fund Flows
The distribution of funds across all 80 projects shows a clear concentration of money in a small number of hit products. The top five projects accounted for nearly half of total funds raised, while many lower-tier products failed to reach even 100,000 won. SMS Co.'s QI2-enabled portable fast charger raised just 73,800 won, but its practicality—charging three devices simultaneously—made it one of five projects run by a single company. This reflects a growing industry strategy of probing market demand through multiple small-scale projects rather than betting on a single hit.
Seasonal summer products also made their presence felt. LOOK AT ME's cooling underwear raised 492,000 won, while the same company's silicone body shower pad collected 502,500 won. The abundance of seasonal lifestyle goods such as a super-strong mini cooling fan (149,300 won) and travel compression pouches (364,700 won) suggests that season-specific planning has become a basic playbook for crowdfunding.
Encore and Retention Strategies, and How Small Brands Survive
The case of People Korea Co. illustrates the power of repeat funding. The company is running a glossy towel now in its 25th encore run and a towel for long hair in its 22nd, while also raising funds for a cowhide convertible bag (1,308,000 won). Explicitly stating the encore number in the title is seen as a marketing device that conveys the credibility of already-proven products to backers. Truebo's anti-theft sling bag (2,924,000 won) and standard backpack (1,892,000 won), as well as Library of the Abyss's tarot and numerology textbooks (1,622,400 won and 2,976,700 won), also achieved mid-level funding results as niche products targeting specific fan bases.
The Rise of AI and Content Projects, and the Market Outlook
Growth in AI-powered production tools is also notable. SsokOn's AI content production service raised 3,807,000 won, while Algorixm's AI service builder for non-developers collected 1,798,000 won. Products targeting the growing demand for short-form video, such as Sunsak Tool's AI-based shorts maker, have also emerged. This indicates that crowdfunding is expanding from a marketplace for goods into a venue for validating tools and content. Audiobooks raising 4,582,816 won for an audiobook featuring the voice of Buddhist monk Beopjeong further confirms that demand for spiritual content is far from negligible.
The coexistence of budget-focused products emphasizing low four-digit-won prices and premium agricultural goods such as 500-gram King Peaches and the new grape variety Purple Lady (1,332,100 won) mirrors the market's polarization. A reasonable interpretation is that consumers open their wallets for verified specs and rarity, but limit their support to small amounts for products lacking these qualities. For the time being, a dual structure is expected to persist, with large home appliances, seasonal goods, and AI tools driving fund inflows while encore-based niche products complement them.
