Overview
The E-Hub Kickstarter Support Program is a structured pathway designed to help select E-Hub Incubator teams explore crowdfunding through Kickstarter. The initiative provides guidance, governance, and limited financial participation while connecting student ventures with the Bentley community. Kickstarter allows ventures to raise capital directly from future customers who believe in their product. This program supports ventures that are ready to test real-world demand and engage early adopters, while maintaining clear governance and responsible communication.
Faculty Lead
What is Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that allows creators and entrepreneurs to raise capital directly from future customers. Founders launch a campaign, set a funding goal, and offer reward tiers in exchange for support. If the campaign reaches its funding goal within a set timeframe, the funds are collected and the project moves forward. If not, no funds are charged. Crowdfunding allows founders to test market demand, build early traction, and validate their ideas in a public setting. Like any early-stage initiative, Kickstarter campaigns involve risk and do not guarantee outcomes.
Learn more at the official Kickstarter website
How this Initiative Works?
The E-Hub Kickstarter Support Initiative follows a clear and governed process to support select Incubator ventures as they prepare for and launch a Kickstarter campaign. The student team independently develops and manages the campaign, while the E-Hub provides advisory guidance, coordinates community engagement, and offers limited structured support throughout the process.
- Venture Review & Eligibility
- Kickstarter Campaign Setup
- Community Announcement
- Bentley Community Raffle
- Any student team that has participated in the E-Hub Incubator may be considered for the Kickstarter pathway.
- Before proceeding, a review committee evaluates whether the venture is appropriate for crowdfunding. The assessment considers readiness, clarity of offering, execution capability, and suitability for the Bentley community.
- The E-Hub will support up to five (5) ventures per academic year, with up to $1,000 in program participation per venture.
If selected, the E-Hub will supports the team prior to launch in the following ways:
- The student team will independently develop its Kickstarter campaign and shares the draft link with the E-Hub for review.
- The E-Hub may provide advisory feedback on positioning, clarity of messaging, reward structure, and overall campaign readiness.
- The E-Hub works with the team to structure a Bentley Friends & Family discount (suggested 20%), through a secret reward tier.
- The E-Hub coordinates launch timing, community communication, and raffle preparation to support early traction.
- Once the campaign is live, the E-Hub will send a community announcement to the Bentley community presenting the opportunity to support the student-led Kickstarter campaign.
- This announcement is informational and will clearly states that participation is entirely voluntary and that the E-Hub is not endorsing, guaranteeing, or requiring participation in the campaign.
- The purpose of the announcement is to create awareness, encourage early engagement, and provide an optional opportunity for the Bentley community to support a student venture at launch.
- The E-Hub will contribute up to $1,000 toward the Kickstarter campaign by purchasing selected reward tiers.
- The E-Hub will host a raffle, where members of the Bentley community can express their desire to get the product/service.
- After the entry window closes, winners will be chosen randomly from this raffle.
- When the product/service is shipped, these will be distributed to the raffle winners.
- For example, if a reward tier costs $100, the E-Hub may purchase 10 units for awarding to the raffle winners.
Governance Committee
The E-Hub Kickstarter Support Program is guided by a small committee consisting of one faculty lead and two student representatives, supported by the E-Hub. This committee evaluates whether a venture is appropriate for crowdfunding, based on readiness, clarity of offering, and suitability for the Bentley community. The committee also ensures that any communication shared does not imply endorsement or guarantee of outcomes. This structure ensures the initiative remains educational, structured, and aligned with E-Hub standards.
The Role of the E-Hub
Once a venture is approved by the committee and the student team has independently created its Kickstarter campaign, the E-Hub supports the next phase by offering advisory guidance, sharing the opportunity with the Bentley community through an informational email, and organizing a community raffle with up to $1,000 in support to help generate early traction. The E-Hub’s role is to facilitate responsible exposure and engagement while enabling student founders to test real market demand.
Important Notes
The E-Hub does not guarantee campaign success, funding outcomes, product delivery, or venture performance. It does not manage or operate Kickstarter campaigns, nor does it provide financial, legal, or investment advice.
Student teams independently create and manage their campaigns, and all operational decisions remain the responsibility of the founders.
Participation by members of the Bentley community is entirely voluntary. The E-Hub shares approved campaigns for awareness and engagement, and individuals choose independently whether to participate.
This program is educational in nature and designed to expand opportunities for student founders to test real market demand beyond the Incubator experience.
Kickstarter Spotlight: SHATTRN
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SHATTERN by Alec Hawley and Aidan Murphy is the first E-Hub Incubator team participating in the Kickstarter Support Program. Their campaign is now live and available for engagement. They are building a two-player memory duel game designed to bring people together through competition and shared experience with unique consequences for winning and losing.
- The E-Hub will support Shattrn as part of this initiative by pledging to their campaign. When we receive the games, these will be distributed to members of the Bentley community. If you would like to receive one of these, please add yourself to this raffle.
- You may support Shattrn directly with this Bentley discount link.
- Click "Back this Project" to access the Special Bentley discount.
- Note: You will need to create an account on Kickstarter (takes 30 seconds)
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Last edited: Feb 25, 2026