IndieGoGo, a fundraising platform, announced at SXSW its acquisition of Distribber, a digital distribution service. This acquisition enables IndieGoGo to offer clients a full range of tools for project execution, from funding to distribution.
IndieGoGo, co-founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin and Eric Schell, and operating out of Berkeley, Calif. and New York City, was the largest online film funding platform at the end of 2009. In 2010 IndieGoGo announced its expansion--offering fundraising tools to any project trying to raise up to $100,000. This includes ideas in writing, usic, social causes, technology, events, venture and politics. Based on the concept of DIWO (Do It With Others), IndieGoGo offers all the tools needed to promote and fund projects via the masses. IndieGoGo encourages projects to offer VIP perks in exchange for contributions, allowing thousands of project owners to involve their fans in funding and creative efforts.
"Since 2008, IndieGoGo has powered fundraising campaigns for over 3,000 customers in 94 countries," said Slava, in a statement. "Now our creative clients will have an opportunity to distribute their completed works. By adding distribution to the suite of tools that IndieGoGo offers, clients can stay with one company and receive consistency in execution and service."
Distribber, based in Los Angeles, was founded in 2009 by Adam Chapnick as a digital distribution service. The innovative company is currently dedicated to empowering independent filmmakers with distribution opportunities, without loss of rights or back-end revenue. Distribber uses iTunes as an outlet for distribution, and recently added new distribution partnerships with Netflix and Amazon. In addition, a new version of the Distribber site was released today
"The IndieGoGo brand is synonymous with stellar technology, outstanding service and wide reach," said Chapnick, in a press statement. "I'm incredibly excited to provide Distribber's current and future clients access to everything IndieGoGo has to offer, and to give the IndieGoGo client base another way to monetize their projects."
In an e-mail to documentary.org, Chapnick added, "I'm absolutely thrilled. There are already a hundred ways Distribber's progress has been accelerated, and we've barely scratched the surface in exploring how the synergies will help both companies' client bases. The acquisition enables IndieGoGo to offer members a full range of tools for project execution, from funding to distribution."