[Funding Data Report] It’s my first funding round—will it go well?
Don't forget to take this with you!
- We analyzed 2,628 projects that succeeded during their first round of funding to identify common success factors.
- Makers launching their first funding campaign can increase their success rate by focusing on these three key areas.
- Don’t worry about going it alone just because it’s your first funding project! From launch to closure, wadiz stands by your side as your partner, providing a wide range of support and benefits.
Can you generate sales and build a fan base with your very first funding campaign?
Of the 2,628 projects that launched their first funding campaign on wadiz, 75% of the projects were successful. On average, successful projects achieved 3,022% of their funding goals.
| First Funding Success Rate | Highest Amount Raised | Average fundraising amount |
| 74.54% | 1.1 billion won | 14.9 million won |
*Based on data from successful projects that met their funding goals during their first campaign, among projects that ran from January 1, 2025, to March 1, 2026
When launching your first funding campaign with no brand recognition and a limited marketing budget, it’s only natural to feel anxious and wonder, “Can I really succeed?”
However, the data shows that “being a first-timer isn’t a disadvantage.”
How was this possible? Starting now, let’s explore three key factors for a successful first funding round.
Table of Contents
01. Create a product that solves customers’ problems
02. You need storytelling that turns interest into purchases
03. Pre-launch notification subscribers determine your initial success
04. wadiz’s Support — We’re with You Until You Succeed
05. FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
01. Create products that solve customers’ problems
The common thread among successful first funding projects is that they prioritized solving customer pain points over product specifications.
Ocula Maker’s TitaniumCell 4.0raised approximately 1.1 billion wonin its first funding campaign and received 2,274 requests to reopen the campaign.
1) We designed a “product you can use every day”
Waterdrop ultrasonic devices are a highly competitive category even on wadiz. Supporters had already tried various beauty devices, and as information became more abundant, it actually became harder for them to decide “which product was right for them.”
OQ targeted head-on the common pitfall of high-end devices: “It works, but I don’t use it.” Every design element—from the snug fit of the titanium head and the lightweight design that reduces arm fatigue to the charging cradle, pause button, and silent mode—was tailored with “daily use” in mind. One supporter put it this way: “The one I used before felt like my arm was going to fall off, but this is a device I actually use every day.”
This design centered on “daily use” won over the supporters, and the funding 221,490%, total funding of approximately 1.1 billion won.
| Project Name | Total Funding Amount | Achievement Rate | supporter |
| Ocula TitaniumCell 4.0 | 1,107,450,000 KRW | 221,490% | 2,542 |
2) Communication builds trust, and trust leads to repeat purchases
Another factor that builds trust in the brand during the first funding round is the maker’s communication. The wadiz first funding project. The the average number of News posts was 7.2. Ocu, however, posted 14News items, directly answering supporters’ questions and addressing their concerns in their Stories.
| Average number of News posts by the maker | Average number of comments per supporter |
| 7.2 | 26.13 |
*Based on data from successful projects that reached their funding goals during their first campaign, among projects run from January 1, 2025, to March 1, 2026
Through its News, Ocuura has actively engaged with supporters by directly answering their questions and addressing their concerns in subsequent News and Stories.
Seeing a maker who communicates actively reassures supporters that “even if a problem arises, it will be resolved smoothly.” This trust ensures that support doesn’t end with a one-time purchase but leads to follow-up funding campaigns and purchases on the company’s own online store. While the average number of requests to reopen a successful funding project is 26.34, OcuRa recorded 2,274. The fact that supporters reached out first even after the campaign ended means that trust continued well beyond the point of purchase.
| Average number of reopening requests | Maximum number of reopening requests |
| 26.34 | 2,274 |
*Based on data from successful projects that achieved their funding goals during their first campaign, conducted between January 1, 2025, and March 1, 2026
02. You Need Storytelling That Turns Interest into a Purchase
Designing a path that leads to a purchase is more challenging than you might think. Even if you’ve successfully encouraged users to sign up for notifications, getting them to actually click the “Pay” button on launch day is an entirely different matter. This is especially true for a first-time funding campaign. You have to convince potential customers to open their wallets without any reviews, success stories, or established trust in the brand.
That’s why payment conversion design is so important. Just as much as the quality of the product or class, success often hinges onhow clearly you’ve answered the question, “Why should I pay now?”To find the best example of this, we examined the success factors of the Miggot Typeface Class.
| Average number of payers | Maximum number of payers |
| 105 | 3,044 |
*Based on data from successful projects that achieved their funding goals on their first attempt among projects run from January 1, 2025, to March 1, 2026
For the first funding project, was approximately 105. However, Migot Type attracted during the first funding 3,044 backersin its first funding round— about 29 times the average. Although many projects were launched during the same period, this project, in particular, got the most people to click the “Pay” button. What made it different?
The secret wasn’t “I’ll help you write well,” but rather “All you need is 10 minutes today.” Rather than focusing on beautiful handwriting itself, the Migot Typeface class proposed setting aside 10 minutes each day to take care of oneself. Comments from supporters repeatedly mentioned, “I bought a notebook last year but stopped three pages short of finishing it,” and the maker zeroed in on this exact point. For people who had “started but failed to stick with it,” the course and notebook were designed so that small achievements would accumulate daily—and this became their motivation to buy.
Rather than selling a goal, the storytelling—which encouraged participants to imagine who they would become after the transformation—converted interest into purchases, Completion rate: 149,637%, total funding of approximately 740 million won.
| Project Name | Total Funding Amount | Achievement Rate | supporter |
| Mikkot Typeface Class | 748,189,000 KRW | 149,637% | 3,044 |
Considering that many projects fail to convert notification subscribers into actual payments, what ultimately matters is how clearly you’ve articulated the answer to “Why should I pay now?” If this is your first funding campaign, focus first on helping supporters envision “the future version of themselves” rather than just the product’s features.
03. Pre-launch notification subscribers determine early success
Gaining interest even before the funding begins is the starting point for success. The more people who sign up for notifications, the more initial payments will come in right after the funding launch, which in turn leads to increased visibility. This stage is especially crucial for your first funding campaign. Since you’re starting with no brand recognition or purchase history, the volume of payments immediately after the funding launch determines your exposure and significantly impacts the overall success of the campaign.
However, since it’s your first funding campaign, there are challenges. You need to encourage potential customers to sign up for alerts even before you have any reviews or followers. Having to attract attention without having had time to build trust is one of the most difficult challenges for first-time funding campaigners. So, we examined the success factors of ZUS HighView as a case study of a project that successfully navigated this process.
According to wadiz, the average number of notification subscribersfor a successful first funding project is about 900. However, the projector brand ZUSreceived 14,373 notification subscriptionsduring its first project. That’s about 16 times the average.
| Average Notifications Subscribed | Maximum Notifications |
| 900 | 14,373 |
*Based on data from successful projects that reached their funding goals during their first campaign, among projects that ran from January 1, 2025, to March 1, 2026
The secret to their success was putting people before the product. In the saturated mini-projector market, ZUS carved out a third position: the “high-end mini-projector.” They precisely targeted the gap between products that were small and lightweight but lacked performance, and those that offered great performance but were bulky.
The key here was that,rather than simply boosting specs, they first analyzed the pain points of existing users. They gathered recurring complaints from Communities—such as “it gets too hot,” “it can’t project onto the ceiling,” and “wireless connectivity is inconvenient”—and directly addressed each one through product design. They made it feel like an “upgrade that changes existing users’ lifestyles,” rather than a simple spec upgrade.
| Project Name | Total Funding Amount | Achievement Rate | supporter |
| Just Beam Projector | 1,107,450,000 | 221,490% | 2,542 |
It’s okay if you don’t have a fan base yet. What matters isn’t the number of fans, but how accurately you’ve identified “the language of the people who need this product.” If this is your first funding campaign, before you even start explaining your product, begin by compiling a list of your potential customers’ pain points and desires.
04. wadiz’s Support — We’re with You Until You Succeed
Not everyone can achieve this kind of success on their very first try. But at wadiz, we’ll cheer you on every step of the way until your first attempt becomes a success.
Just because it’s your first funding campaign doesn’t mean you have to prepare for it alone. From launch to completion, wadiz stands by you as a partner, offering a variety of support and benefits.
- First Funding Promotion Fee Benefits
- Wadiz charges a 12% service fee. We’re currently running a “First Successful Funding” promotion for makers who haven’t yet achieved their first successful funding. During the promotion period, makers with no prior successful funding history can receive a 30% discount on the service fee. If your funding goal is 30 million won, you can save approximately 1 million won to invest in marketing or product development.
- Wadiz charges a 12% service fee. We’re currently running a “First Successful Funding” promotion for makers who haven’t yet achieved their first successful funding. During the promotion period, makers with no prior successful funding history can receive a 30% discount on the service fee. If your funding goal is 30 million won, you can save approximately 1 million won to invest in marketing or product development.
- Free step-by-step guide
- You can find the Maker Guide—provided by wadiz’s official partners and funding experts—in the Maker Center. It includes guides covering the entire funding process, from creating your product page to News and sign-up events. If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a first-time maker, follow the step-by-step guides packed with insights from successful projects.
- You can find the Maker Guide—provided by wadiz’s official partners and funding experts—in the Maker Center. It includes guides covering the entire funding process, from creating your product page to News and sign-up events. If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a first-time maker, follow the step-by-step guides packed with insights from successful projects.
- Agency matching for product detail pages, plus design templates and three types of ad creatives
- It’s okay if the guide still seems difficult or if you’re unsure where to start with creating your project page.Through our partner services—which offer the lowest prices—carefully selected experts with extensive wadiz experience will create a page that highlights your product’s key selling points. ** (Starting at 1 million won / VAT not included)
- When using our partner service for product detail page creation, we provide the product detail page design template and three types of advertising materials free of chargeto makers launching their first funding campaign. Feel free to modify and reuse these templates for future wadiz campaigns, such as encore (pre-order) campaigns or new product launches. (Format: MangoBoard or Canva)
Additionally, upon request, we’ll provide three types of ad creatives free of charge—so if you’re considering advertising, give these professionally designed images a try.
- It’s okay if the guide still seems difficult or if you’re unsure where to start with creating your project page.Through our partner services—which offer the lowest prices—carefully selected experts with extensive wadiz experience will create a page that highlights your product’s key selling points. ** (Starting at 1 million won / VAT not included)
- 24-hour AI assistant, WAi
- Does interpreting data feel overwhelming? WAi analyzes the meaning behind the numbers and presents your funding strategy at a glance. It automatically compares your project’s ranking within your category and analyzes performance and conversion rates by traffic source to help you identify which channels to prioritize. It also takes into account age, gender, country, and follower status to suggest the best approach for reaching your target audience right now.
- Does interpreting data feel overwhelming? WAi analyzes the meaning behind the numbers and presents your funding strategy at a glance. It automatically compares your project’s ranking within your category and analyzes performance and conversion rates by traffic source to help you identify which channels to prioritize. It also takes into account age, gender, country, and follower status to suggest the best approach for reaching your target audience right now.
05. FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I receive the first-time funding promotion fee benefit?
If you’re a maker with no prior successful funding history, you can check the applied commission rate in Maker Studio > Service Fees after creating your project—no separate application is required. Creating a project doesn’t mean the campaign opens immediately, so feel free to create one right now using the profile link!
Q. Are there other benefits for makers launching funding campaigns?
We’re currently running various campaigns to support project marketing. Benefits await that allow you to showcase products by category—such as Tech, Living, Food, and Books—as well as new products and products exclusive to Korea to our 7.5 million supporters, so be sure to check them out via your profile link!
Q. But what are the benefits of launching a funding campaign?
Funding isn’t just a sale—it’s the “first step toward laying the foundation for success.” First, you can validate your product’s market potential with concrete data and build an early fanbase that cheers your growth. If your funding campaign is successful, you’ll secure production funds and build a successful track record that will help you enter various distribution channels in the future.
Q. What should I prepare first to launch a funding campaign?
Once you’ve created your project, browsing Maker Studio will help you get a better sense of what to do. If anything seems difficult or confusing, WAi—your personal funding AI assistant, available 24/7—will be there to guide you.
Q. How can I ensure my funding campaign is successful?
We recommend first checking the appeal of your product and Story by setting it to “Launching Soon” and gathering supporters interested in your brand in advance!
If you’re curious about solutions for a successful funding campaign—from preparing for the “launching soon” phase to setting your funding goal, writing your product description, and creating ad materials—ask WAi, your personal AI funding assistant!
Tip: Recommended prompts to ask WAi for successful funding
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The Secret to Success
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Preparing for Funding
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If you’re hesitating because it’s your first time, that means you’re already ready to start.
Data from 2,628 first-time funding campaigns shows one thing: neither brand recognition nor a generous marketing budget is the primary factor for success. Projects that exceeded their goals were those that described their products in a way that resonated with supporters, generated interest before the funding campaign even launched, and maintained consistent communication throughout the funding period.
Wadiz is here to help you navigate this process—you don’t have to go it alone. From fee discounts to guides, partner services, and WAi, which is available 24/7—we’ll be with you every step of the way until your first funding campaign is a success.
Create your project right now!
