CES 2016: Indiegogo brings startup-minded crowdfunding to enterprise tech

LAS VEGAS---CES is infamous for being an all-out deluge of cutting-edge (or wishful thinking) technology.

But many of the prototypes out on the multiple show floors scattered across Sin City this week will require a significant seed of cash to actually advance and mass produce these gadgets.

Quite a few, presumably, are being pushed by independent entrepreneurs and startups.

But old-guard corporations and enterprise brands are trying to hawk quirky ideas of their own, sometimes just trying to see what sticks and keeps them relevant in the face of whatever the hip new thing is made by smaller, newer companies.

Indiegogo is known worldwide for serving as a crowdfunding hub for individuals, non-profits and startups, and now the fundraising wunderkind is pitching itself as a new resource for big businesses.

The San Francisco-based company has launched a new service dubbed Enterprise Crowdfunding, consisting of services, analytics and other strategy consulting options for connecting corporate customers with Indiegogo's growing community of early adopters and product designers.

Essentially, the service is promising to equip enterprises with analytics and advice about whether or not their concepts will resonate with whatever target audience they are aiming to attract.

Indiegogo has already sampled the program with a handful of familiar brands, including Hasbro and GE Appliances.

In GE's case, the tech conglomerate raised more than $3 million and boasted to have acquired over 8,000 customers after two Enterprise Crowdfunding campaigns.

The end result was the Paragon Induction Cooktop, which is scheduled to start shipping to crowdfunders this month.