Gumstix Launches Group Crowdfunding Program For Purchasing Custom Electronic Devices

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gumstix, Inc., the premier provider of Linux computers-on-module for electronics manufacturers, today announced a crowdfunding financial platform for electronic devices. Crowdfunding is the collective effort of individuals who pool their money to purchase a product or service together, thus reducing the individual cost. The concept is a good fit for the Gumstix design-your-own electronic device community. Combined with the Gumstix design-and-build system Geppetto, which enables anyone to create custom Linux-powered electronics, the crowdfunding option now enables single users and hobbyists easier access for building great designs on Geppetto.

"Crowdfunding campaigns are a natural extension of our design sharing philosophy. We expect to see shared designs in a wide range of communities, from robotics classrooms to remote environmental data monitoring, and are excited to have made our own internal engineering automation freely available over the web, " said Dr. W. Gordon Kruberg, president and CEO of Gumstix, Inc. "This spreads design-and-build of electronic devices well beyond the realm of professional electrical engineers, and into the hands of educators and hobbyists."

Users create community campaigns for any electronic device designed with Geppetto, whether or not the design is shared publicly. Designers choose a quantity threshold and campaign duration (between 10 and 45 days) and share a catalog link with their community. Community members then pledge to buy boards, and after the threshold is reached the boards are built. Users divide a $1,999 manufacturing set-up fee based on the quantity of boards ordered, and as a part of the launch, Gumstix will waive the fee entirely for campaigns that reach over 50 subscribers.

Crowdfunding offers creators and designers a financial pathway to building their own devices, from hobbyists to industrial designers. To get started on a community campaign visit Gumstix Geppetto.

About Geppetto
Geppetto is a web application to build custom embedded computers. Electrical engineers and industrial designers can create devices with Geppetto's intuitive drag and drop approach to connect USB plugs, network connectors, LEDs or even whole computer-on-modules to meet specifications. Color-based status indicators show design completion while Geppetto manages low-level routing issues behind the scenes. Alternative modules can be suggested for further functionality. Geppetto trims a typical four month process of creating a high-end electronic device to one of less than three weeks. 

About Gumstix, Inc.
Since developing the first Linux®-based computer-on-module in 2003, Gumstix has grown to become the premier provider of Linux®-based COMs and expansion boards, with over 15,000 diverse customers in more than 40 countries. Gumstix' commitment to provide the best, standard platform for ubiquitous, intelligent devices with flexible and open-source design results in less internal development time and faster time-to-market for its customers' products. For more information, visit www.gumstix.com.

Media Contact:
Susan Lehman
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SOURCE Gumstix, Inc.