Buffalo Business First chose 10 companies this year for our inaugural Inno Fire awards, representing the breadth and diversity of Buffalo’s startup scene. These are their stories.
Kickfurther
CEO: Sean de Clercq
Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Seneca One Tower, Buffalo
What the company does: Helps companies finance their inventory production through crowdfunding
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Sean de Clercq started Kickfurther in Colorado eight years ago based on his experience with his own merchandising company.
He saw that the struggle to fund inventory production was a shared problem so he set about solving it..
Kickfurther targets small- to mid-sized businesses in the physical products space, allowing them to raise money via its web-based crowdfunding platform. The startup moved to Buffalo in 2019 after winning an award in the 43North competition.
The company had a huge year in 2021, raising $5.9 million in seed funding, tripling its team to about 40 people and increasing revenue by 50%. That funding round was led by B. Thomas Golisano, the billionaire founder of Paychex and onetime Buffalo Sabres owner.
De Clercq said Kickfurther is focusing this year on its subscription model for clients. He said 2022 is about continuing the company’s momentum
“Let’s put the things in place to make Kickfurther a household name and the de facto resource for any business looking to fund physical inventory,” he told Business First in 2021. “That’s what we’re driving toward.”
