Gridcase has launched a crowdfunding campaign for its Reactor for iPhone 5, the first integrated generator and battery case ever created. The Reactor utilizes a patent-pending, ultra-thin generator to enable users to manually charge the battery of their iPhone 5 when wall outlets are unavailable. The Reactor is designed to provide an all-important power boost when critical data must be retrieved or essential communication becomes necessary.
"I'm using Crowd Supply for the Reactor's crowdfunding campaign," said Jim Clark, inventor of the Reactor. "I've done successful Kickstarter projects before, but several of their recent rule changes are unfriendly to product developers like me. Crowd Supply lets us show a 3-D rendering of what we expect our final product will look like. Backers want to understand the risks of a project but also see our vision for what the final product will be when it reaches their hands. Crowd Supply gives us the freedom to tell our story, in our own way."
In the Reactor, Clark has created a product that millions of mobile-device dependent users around the world can embrace. A dead smartphone battery at a critical moment is a recurring problem that almost every smartphone user has experienced. Since the Reactor is embedded into the phone's case, there's never a circumstance where the phone is without power. A small built-in battery provides enough of a boost to revive a dead phone, while manually cranking the generator can extend the battery life of the iPhone indefinitely.
Gridcase chose the iPhone 5 over other smartphones for the design of the first Reactor for several reasons. The iPhone's form factor is the smallest compared to Samsung and others, so once the challenges presented by this design were overcome, other smartphone cases would be fast and easy to create. The large installed base of busy professionals that have selected the iPhone 5 was another. "We see a full product line of Reactor cases in our future," said Mat Laibowitz, General Manager of Gridcase. He continued, "This is a category-defining invention and one we intend to advance quickly utilizing our patent-pending technology."
"Reactor is exactly the kind of timely innovation that we're proud to support on Crowd Supply," said Lou Doctor, co-founder and CEO of Crowd Supply. "Our goal is to partner with project creators to achieve long-term success and pave the way for the next generation of innovative companies."
Crowd Supply helps project creators in ways that other crowdfunding sites do not. In the pre-approval stage, creators can improve their business plans and schedules by consulting with experienced engineers and product designers. Once a project is crowdfunded, creators gain tools to manage pre-orders and a service to help them ship their premiums to backers. Crowd Supply will stock the product once it's available, acting as an e-commerce reseller for customer orders.
Reactor for iPhone 5 is expected to have a suggested retail price of $149. During its Crowd Supply campaign, the first 10,000 Reactors are being offered at an early-bird pledge level of just $99. Production deliveries begin in October 2013.
