This $10.8 Million Crowdfunded Cooler Better Be Awesome

[Prodjex]

In the relatively brief but inexplicably deep-pocketed history of internet-enabled crowdfunding, people have proven their insatiable thirst for investing in stuff that may—or may not—ever make it to reality. Some of these proposals are very cool; some are very stupid. And some get a whole hell of a lot of money. “The Coolest” belongs to that last group.

When the Pebble smartwatch smashed through its $100,000 goal in 2012, expectations were high—$10.2 million high—but the company delivered on and developed its product, and has since proven itself a legitimate standout in a nascent market. For better or for worse, it helped usher in this brave new world of wearables when it wooed donations from the wallets of 85,000 Kickstarter backers.

That was two years ago, though. A pre-potato salad existence. The game has changed; would-be investors are hungry for something new. And now a cooler—the Coolest, natch—froze out Pebble’s previous record for biggest Kickstarter haul.

This bluetooth-speakered, waterproof USB-embedded, rechargeable-blendered, LED-lit, wide-rolling, plates-and-knifed cooler borders on overkill; but over 50,000 hard-partying, tailgating, picnicking people have collectively paid—as of the time of publishing, with three days left—$10.8 million to own one. Creator Ryan Grepper says that regular coolers are boring. This cooler has 10.8 mil in its pocket. That’s a lot of “interesting” to pony up.

Will it deliver on its promise of February 2015 shipping and frosty cold brewskis? Can any cooler really make good on over $10 milion in hopes and dreams? Only time will tell whether we’ve anointed a brand new hero, but a 10 million dollar cooler had better be damned cool.

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