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Coolest Cooler
DeveloperRyan Grepper
Release date24 July 2015[1]
SoundBluetooth water-resistant speaker[1]
Input2x USB charging port
(5 volts, 1 amp & 2.1 amp)[1]
Power20V Rechargeable lithium ion battery
Websitecoolest.com

The Coolest Cooler is a multi-function cooler created by Ryan Grepper that was initially funded by the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. It includes an ice-crushing blender, a Bluetooth water-resistant speaker, a USB charging port, LED lamps, a bottle opener with magnetic cap catch, plates, knife, corkscrew and a removable divider that can also be used as a cutting board.[1] The split lid design is made with steel hinges and includes cup-holders.

The cooler's hexagonal shape has a 55+ quart capacity.[2] The cooler is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and the removable Bluetooth speaker is also rechargeable and can be paired with a second speaker up to 30 ft away. One reviewer described it as a "party in a box".[3] Time magazine listed the Coolest cooler as one of its 25 best inventions of 2014.[4]

Funding

Grepper first tried to raise funding for the product in November 2013 but fell short of the $125,000 goal and failed to secure any funding. He relaunched a campaign on July 8, 2014, and critics attribute the success of the second Kickstarter campaign to the timing.[5] The Coolest received extensive press coverage when it topped the funding goals of the Pebble watch, and ended the campaign in August with $13,285,226 and 62,642 backers making it the most funded Kickstarter campaign of 2014.[6]

Background

Grepper, a product developer and entrepreneur designed the Coolest, initially using a weed whacker[7] to build a portable gas-powered blender. He subsequently re-engineered a cooler with a car stereo to bring to a 4 July beach party for friends. Grepper has said that improvements in technology and the reduced size of components made him realize that the multi-function cooler could be engineered as a consumer product and developed a prototype using 3D printing technology.[8]

Development

When Grepper launched the Kickstarter campaign for the Coolest, the company planned to ship backers their Coolest reward in February 2015. The success of the campaign significantly increased the demand on the Portland (OR) based company and they are currently manufacturing[9] the Coolest in China. Due to the change in quantity, complexity of shipping, logistics and certification processes, the production schedule documented on the company's countdown page has taken longer than expected. In February 2015, the company announced a delay pushing back the shipping date to July 2015.[10] Grepper cited improvements and upgrades[11] as partial reasons for the delay in a post on the company's blog.[12]

The first units shipped in July 2015 and by November 2015, tens of thousands of backers received their cooler, with the company estimating they would clear the large backlog by April 2016.[13] During a live-steamed web conference in March 2016, Grepper admitted production had halted and that he was seeking an additional $15 million, with one third of this to be put towards meeting 36,000 orders from backers that were stil outstanding.[14] In April 2016, Grepper added an option to spend $97 in order to get expedited shipping on the backer's delayed coolers.[15] In May 2016, the company announced that more than 10,000 backers had supported this option and production had resumed in China. The company said it would fund delivery of the remaining 27,000 backer rewards from profits from retail sales.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "COOLEST COOLER: 21st Century Cooler that's Actually Cooler". Kickstarter. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  2. ^ "The 'Coolest' cooler - 60 quarts of style with a built in blender, music and way, way more". The Coolest Cooler: 60 quarts of style with a built-in blender, music and way, way more.
  3. ^ "It's a cooler. It's a blender. It's a party in a box". Portland Business Journal. 11 July 2014.
  4. ^ TIME Staff. "The 25 Best Inventions of 2014". TIME.com.
  5. ^ Jeffries, Adrianne (27 August 2014). "The biggest Kickstarter ever failed the first time around". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Move over, Pebble: The Coolest Cooler is now the biggest Kickstarter campaign ever". Yahoo News. 27 August 2014.
  7. ^ http://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/26/a-new-king-of-kickstarter-about-to-be-crowned.html
  8. ^ "The Coolest Cooler". FATHOM // 3D Printer Sales, Advanced Prototype Fabrication, Bridge-To-Production Low Volume Manufacturing.
  9. ^ "Coolest Cooler Partners with Dragon Innovation on Production". Crowdfund Insider.
  10. ^ Taylor Soper. "'Coolest Cooler' shipments delayed in setback for record-breaking $13.3M Kickstarter campaign - GeekWire". GeekWire.
  11. ^ "Coolest Cooler Selects Manufacturer, Upgrades Battery". Crowdfund Insider.
  12. ^ "COOLEST COOLER: 21st Century Cooler that's Actually Cooler by Ryan Grepper — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.
  13. ^ Hern, Alex (19 November 2015). "Trouble on Kickstarter as two massive projects hit the rocks". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  14. ^ Marum, Anna (8 March 2016). "Coolest Cooler needs another $15 million, creator says". The Oregonian. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  15. ^ Micah Singleton (13 April 2016). "$13 million Kickstarter project for a cooler continues to be a disaster". The Verge. Vox Media.
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