Five Pozible Sydney Success Stories That Used Our Money for Greatness

Since Pozible’s first line of code was written in Pyrmont in April 2010, the homegrown platform has delivered group love (and cash) to more than 4,500 projects. That means that 55 percent of campaigns make it rich. It also means that, of all the crowdfunding movers and shakers in the world, Pozible is among the top three. Not bad for half-a-dozen young Sydneysiders.

So what does it take to make a Pozible campaign work? Crowdfunding expert Thomas Mai tells us, “Some of the biggest advice I give people is, show that you’re human. Don’t hide behind a logo. Our campaigns are bookmarked with people at the front and people at the end. People give you money because they’re emotionally involved. They need to trust you and like you.”

Here are five Sydney-based campaigns that won over the people’s hearts. Or their tastebuds. Or their ears. Or their need to spend a day letting loose on Cockatoo Island.

Check out more Pozible Sydney success stories at the Anything's Pozible pop-up, running March 7-13.

Mr Black Liqueur

Having perfected “the best coffee liqueur in the world”, Mr Black turned to Pozible to fund their first batch and host a launch party. Setting out with a $10,000 goal, the team raised $26,160, simultaneously attracting an abundance of thirsty media attention and hundreds of committed drinkers. “We used Pozible to get our booze in the hands of people who really care about what they drink,” co-founder Tom Baker told us. “Creative people who would respect the fact that we’re trying something a little out of the ordinary ... the campaign really kicked off a whirlwind ride that has been the last nine months. We’ve gone from zero to over 200 bars and bottle shops around Australia, cementing our place in the booze industry.”

Oliver Tank

Now playing solo shows at the likes of Sydney’s Metro Theatre and sold-out affairs at Melbourne’s The Corner Presents, Oliver Tank is quickly becoming an indie household name. Back in 2011, 62 Pozible pledgers backed him to the tune of $3,138 in support of his quest to vinyl-ise debut EP Dreams. At the time, he’d been gaining traction on both FBi and triple j, having been nominated for the former’s SMAC Awards and included in the latter’s next crop.

Save the Rat

Mid-2013, things were touch and go for Marrickville’s beloved maverick theatre, the Red Rattler. But at least 618 people didn’t want the alternative, artsy space to close, responding to The Rat’s Pozible campaign with a total of $45,306. This month alone, the program promises Bollywood drag shows, a fundraiser to help a devastated Filipino fishing community and the Women Scream International Poetry Festival.

Friends of Dorothy

If you watched the world premiere of William Yang’s autobiographical doco Friends of Dorothy at this year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival, or caught it on ABC1 on Sunday, March 2, you have Pozible (partly) to thank. At the last minute, Yang sought the crowd’s assistance to facilitate high-quality post-production. The $10,930 raised helped to make the film “as vibrant, colourful and loud as a Mardi Gras float”.

Underbelly Arts

Last year, Sydney’s freshest and funnest art festival received a mass-affection injection when Underbelly Arts teamed up with Pozible and the Keir Foundation. Several Cockatoo Island exhibitors ran campaigns, with Keir matching every dollar (up to $2500 per project). Successes included zin’s PARTY MODE, who threw an immersive, politically themed bash; Katie Sfetkidis’s dreamy jellyfish sculpture-meets-soundscape In Deep Water; and Benton and Clapham’s multisensory, French-influenced feast Tableau Vivant.