As an entrepreneur, there are many steps between brainstorming your big idea and launching it into the real world. We at Indiegogo want to help you with every single stage of the business lifecycle—before and after crowdfunding.

That’s why we’ve partnered with experienced companies to give our campaigners a leg up in the big, scary business scene beyond our platform.

To start a successful venture means connecting with the right people and companies. We’re giving you a head start. Here are the companies, tools and programs that can assist you at every step. Official Indiegogo partners are marked with a (*). If you are looking for one partner to help guide you through multiple stages, start and end with Arrow Electronics. From design to manufacturing, and everything in between, the experts at Arrow have your product covered.  

Here are other tools to help you along the way: 

Polish your pitch video. Impress early adopters with a video that tells the heart of your story, and how your brilliant idea was born.

• • StudioNow connects companies with top-notch filmmakers and video producers.
  • VideoPixie is a community of 5,000+ video creators. You get to select your favorite bid from production companies or from specialists: videographers, editors, animators… whichever you might need.
    
  • WeVideo lets anyone edit videos collaboratively, from anywhere. This is a great option if you already have raw video footage, and your remote team wants to pitch in on editing the video together.

Promote your product. Keep your community in the loop and attract new backers with your catchy stories on a regularly updated blog and social platforms. For better results, pair up with professionals before you launch!

• • Agency 2.0 is a crowdfunding marketing agency that helps campaigners via their proprietary process, vast PR network and data-driven marketing team.
  • Command Partners is a digital marketing agency that helps raise money for startups through crowdfunding and can also provide product design, engineering, manufacturing and fulfillment.
  • Herscu & Goldsilver is a boutique Toronto-based PR agency focused on driving awareness around technology, lifestyle and crowdfunding products and services.
  • Others: PRServe, Rainfactory, and Funded Today   

In addition to the examples above, Indiegogo has a vast ecosystem of agency partners that can help campaigns from pre-launch through InDemand. InDemand allows campaigners to continue raising money, taking orders and shipping globally long after your campaign is over. Learn how campaigners like the team at Ockel Sirius pointed to their success in InDemand to establish relationships with Amazon Launchpad, Microsoft and more.

Accelerate your idea. Accelerator programs give you pivotal funding and crucial connections with investors and collaborators, helping you to refine your product along the way.

• • Highway 1 works with hardware startups and small teams to help them establish a roadmap to market. They invest up to $100,000 of seed funding in exchange for equity.  
  • TechStars is a global ecosystem that helps entrepreneurs everywhere. They have a number of different programs around the world that each have a different focus on everything from healthcare to retail.
  • Y Combinator invests $120,000 in startups they believe in, twice a year.
  • Others: Brinc.io, Hax Boost.

Get your administrative ducks in a row. Accounting, taxes, IP and legal services shouldn’t be left until the last minute. These tools will help you file taxes, manage your team, get patents, and more.

• • Brass Taxes offers affordable tax help for artists, freelancers “and other nice people”—which of course means entrepreneurs! Beyond just helping you file taxes, the company also lends a hand with financial planning and organization.
  • Legalzoom offers legal help for a flat fee. Interactive questionnaires help you find the exact service you’re looking for.  
  • Upcounsel lets you hire a lawyer on-demand for specific needs, including LLC formation, patents, trademarks, and contracts.
  • US Patent and Trademark is your straightforward destination for, you guessed it, patents and trademarks, straight from Uncle Sam himself.

Make the most of your crowdfunding game plan by teaming up with the right companies. Go to market with experts who have already lead countless campaigners toward a successful future.

Prototype your product. Iterate until you find what works best for your idea. The right tools can make all the difference.

• • Fathom can help you with the steps from prototype to production, including DFM, prototyping, supply chain management and low-volume manufacturing. The Oakland-based company has helped a lot of startups and IGG campaigners, and it is the preferred vendor of the accelerators Highway 1 and Wearable World.
  • Fictiv wants to change how you build hardware by democratizing access to parts, information and all things manufacturing.
  • Shapeways bills itself as the world’s largest 3D printing service. It’s especially useful for someone interested in 3D printing without the machines or knowhow at hand. The company has streamlined the process for beginners to make and sell their designs in one spot.
  • Voodoo manufacturing allows you to start with your own 3D model (or have one of their professionals make one for you) and you can order up to 10,000 parts in as little as 24 hours. They bridge the gap between prototyping and mass production!  
  • 3d Printler allows you to compare 3D-printing prices for 268 materials across
    today’s biggest 3D-printing services and order instantly. It’s like the kayak of 3D printing.

Manufacture and manage your supply chain. When it comes to creating your actual product, rest easy knowing that your vision is in professional hands.

• • Riverwood Solutions*, based in Redwood City, California, helps equipment manufacturers and brands of all sizes with manufacturing and supply chain management.
  • Arciplex  is a US based manufacturing company. They engineer custom products while offering expert guidance on bringing an idea to market.
  • Berkeley Sourcing Group consults with budding product entrepreneurs on manufacturing and supply chain plans. They collaborate with Chinese-based manufacturing companies to get the job done. IGG campaigners have had a solid experience collaborating with BSG.
  • Flextronics offers support for equipment manufacturers at every stage of a product’s life—from design, to manufacturing, to international distribution.
  • HWTrek gives hardware enthusiasts a forum to help each other out as they navigate the often confusing world of manufacturing and delivering products to market, side by side. They’ve helped 11 campaigns raise $2 million total.

Design and Manufacture Planning: pick the right parts. Sourcing high-quality parts can help your product become top of the line.

• • Arrow Electronics* is not only your go-to source to find electronic components, but also a potential partner and mentor to Indiegogo campaigners. Learn more about our partnership with Arrow to get discounts on parts and expert guidance. Arrow offers:
    • Technology Review: They help explain the benefits, trends and tradeoffs of various technologies and their availability.
    • Bill of Materials Optimization: Through their BOM optimization they aim to help you find the lowest prices available, comparable parts, recommendations for future upgrades and parts that may be discontinued soon. Bonus, you can get all your BOM parts from one place – Arrow.com.
    • Design for Manufacture: They’ll provide guidance and understanding of part details and specifications as well as make recommendations from their extensive reference design library.
    • Preferential and Expedited Tech Support: You’ll get speedy and personalized support from the Arrow engineers.
    • Flash Funding: You could receive up to $100,000 in funding from Arrow. Become a certified campaigner today!

Crisscross borders. Freight shipping and passing through customs shouldn’t hold you back. Cross borders with ease when you choose experienced partners.

• • Flexport helps companies import products through a simple online dashboard.
  • Freightos gives you quote comparisons on freight shipping, allowing you to strike the right balance between affordability and reliability.
  • Haven “connects commodity traders, food producers, and shippers to thousands of logistics providers through one platform.”

Ship without a hitch. Fulfill your orders and promises to backers smoother and faster.

• • Amplifier*, a full-service production company in Austin, has partnered with Indiegogo to help our campaigners produce, package and ship perks—easily and reliably.
  • Rush Order: is a flexible fulfillment solution that has worked with many large brands and fast growing startups globally.
  • Shipmonk helps you fulfill ecommerce orders with software that automatically imports your orders. You don’t need to lift a finger—the company packs and ships orders for you. They have dedicated services for crowdfunding campaigners.
  • Shipwire is a subsidiary of the world’s largest consumer tech distributor Ingram Micro. Shipwire not only provides on-demand and custom fulfillment solutions, but access to a global distribution network as well.
  • Others: Floship, Fulfillrite 

Ship it yourself. These shipping providers make shipping from home easy – helping with label printing, stamps, tracking numbers and more.

• • Shippo provides a solution for everything that can go awry when shipping. Their easy-to-use integration provides features like address validation, multi-carrier support, tracking API, label printing and bulk order discounts. They also recently wrote a great article about shipping tips for crowdfunding campaigns.
  • ShipStation‘s software automatically imports your orders and helps set you up with easy-to-use features like printing labels in bulk and order automation.
  • Shyp believes shipping should be as easy as taking a photo. This full-service operation includes a cloud based shipping dashboard, label printing, pickup, packaging and low shipping rates available nationwide.
  • Stamps.com is your postage on-demand service. Print your own stamps and shipping labels in seconds.

Package your product with style. Thoughtful details and strong materials on your package send a message: You take pride in your product, and you care about your customers.

• • Arka.com offers a network of high-quality designers and manufacturers of packages, so you can take your pick.
  • Jansy gives companies well-curated solutions for product design, manufacturing, and packaging.
  • Pakible is a full-service prototyping and bidding platform for custom packaging for both boxes and bags.
    
  • Others: Packlane and Taylor Box  

Reach the retailers. Go to market gracefully with consultants and companies who know the business, inside and out.  

• • Product firms help you sell your product to retailers.
    • Levin Consulting has a team of electronics experts, connecting you with retailers in your field.
    • The Stable has a staff of retail pros who represent big brands, sharing customized strategies and advice for getting your idea on store shelves.
    • Spring partners with entrepreneurial businesses and IP owners to ensure they have positioned their brand and products to minimize risk and realize the full potential of the retail opportunity through insights and access to the world’s biggest and best retailers.
  • Approach retailers directly.
    • Brookstone* has paired up with Indiegogo to help our campaigners distribute their cutting-edge products in their established and well-respected storefront, online and nationwide.
    • Newegg* and Indiegogo are coming together to bring your funded idea to retail quickly and easily. Apply for the opportunity to sell your product at a special rate and receive promotional support from one of the world’s leading technology marketplaces.
    • Target * has embedded itself in the Bay Area’s active Internet of Things (IoT) community to discover new thinking and engage startups. They have partnered with Indiegogo to feature a rotating selection of products.
    • Amazon Launchpad is a new store that curates the cutting-edge for consumers to discover fresh new products from today’s brightest startups. Learn how to sign up through Indiegogo and have your product sold today.

Keep the funds coming. Beyond your crowdfunding campaign, finance your startup to continue your momentum and make the big time. Check out this post for more ideas!

We have a variety of partnerships at every stage of the lifecycle to help bring your product to market. Learn more about how you can get started today.

*Official Indiegogo partner. 

Know of another helpful tool or company? Please let us know using the hashtag #IndiegogoTips on Twitter.