Kickstarter is pretty well known for helping fund indie art projects. If you have a book you want to write, start a Kickstarter. If you have a game you want to develop, go to kickstarter. If you have a film series or web series you need to fund, Kickstarter.
Now, crowd sourcing has been adapted for a lot of industries, from project funding to news (examiner.com is pretty much built off the same model), but it might even be the next venue for investments. No longer do you need to go to huge corporations to get funding for your super expensive tech developments. At least, Matten Griffel thinks so.
Crowd investment is really only possible thanks to the 2012 JOBS act, which was designed to make it easier for startups to get the funding they need. So, as long as you meet certain criteria (like a $200,000 a year income) and are willing to acknowledge that most startups fail, and you still want to invest, there are more and more companies willing to take the money straight from you.
Which is simultaneously awesome, and also a really bad financial decision. Happy investing!
