Today PicoBrew announced a new stretch goal in an effort to become the #1 food Kickstarter campaign of all time. The new goal features the PicoFerm, a web-connected fermentation monitor that lets brewers monitor the status of their fermenting beer.
The reigning food champ is Anova, which has held the top spot ever since its highly successful Kickstarter campaign for the Anova Precision Cooker three years ago which went on to hit $1.811 million.
The target amount PicoBrew set for its next stretch goal? $1.812 million.
With the Pico campaign currently sitting at just under $1.5 million, Anova’s record looks very much in reach. Typically, successful campaigns follow a pattern: a surge of early backers, a mid-campaign lull, and a surge at the end as those sitting on the fence rush in. By adding extra stretch goals like the PicoFerm, campaigns hope to nudge the undecided into pulling out their credit cards.
So what is the PicoFerm? While the details are a little fuzzy, it looks like an small keg monitor that gives users of the PicoBrew Pico C (and the original Pico) the ability to monitor the progress of fermenting beer. According to PicoBrew, the PicoFerm will send “a precise forecast on when your beer will be ready to drink. It will also send tips on how to improve or speed up the process.”
Lastly, why would PicoBrew care about surpassing Anova? The answer is simple: bragging rights and free marketing. By becoming the #1 food Kickstarter campaign, PicoBrew will raise their profile further and generate a series of “new Kickstarter food champ” articles that will give them momentum as they make the Pico C available for presale after the campaign.
