So… BraX3 just became the most crowdfunded smartphone on IndieGoGo.
We’re still kind of in shock. When we started this, we had an idea of what to expect in terms of pre-orders, based on the sales we did of BraX2. But the BraX3 success honestly blew us away.
Turns out that more people are willing to buy a privacy-focused product, as long as the product is well designed and fairly priced.
How we got here
We didn’t spend a dollar on ads (take that Google!). It was just you guys - sharing the project, posting about it in forums, telling your friends. That organic spread is what made this happen, and it’s the part we’re most proud of (and honestly still trying to wrap our heads around).
The campaign took off faster than we expected. One day we’re a small team hoping to hit our goal, next thing we know there’s discussions about BraX3 popping up across Reddit, Twitter, privacy communities. It just kept building.
The road wasn’t an easy one
This launch tested us in some ways we haven’t been tested before (and that says some thing for a leadership team with over 40 years of combined experience in making technology).
Two hours after we opened pre-orders on our own site, Stripe shut us down. Just… gone. We had to scramble and figure out alternatives while people were trying to order. We’ve started an IndieGoGo campaign, so we continue pre-orders of the BraX3. Things were good for a while. Then we got hit with a 145% tariff we didn’t see coming, which threw all our cost projections out the window.
There were moments where we genuinely didn’t know if we could pull this off. But every time we hit a wall, the community would send another message of support or place another order. That’s what kept us pushing.
BraX3 in numbers
- 4,600+ backers supported the BraX3 project by pre-ordering
- Backers from 90+ different countries pre-ordered a BraX3
- 5,500+ devices delivered already
But the number we’re most proud of is the average BraX3 purchase price: $309.50. Over 25% lower than the its predecessor the BraX2 ($429) and about 60% lower than the average price of a privacy-focused smartphone (750$).
While a lower sale price meant lower profit margins for us, it also meant something more important -that privacy is now accessible to more people.
What happens next
The crowdfunding success, combined with the positive feedback from early adopters has given us the confidence to continue with the BraX3 project. A new production run is already in motion. We’re expecting shipments to go out in December for anyone who missed the first batch.
In addition, the success of BraX3 has us thinking way beyond smartphones now. There’s another privacy-focused product we’ve been developing, and we think it’s going to push things even further. More on that soon.
Quick note - if you’re one of the folks still dealing with a technical issue or waiting on your shipment, we’re on it. The team is working through each case. Just wanted you to know we haven’t forgotten about you.
Thank You
When we started Brax Technologies, the goal was simple: prove that you can build tech that is private, fairly priced and doesn’t compromise on quality. BraX3 becoming the most crowdfunded smartphone on the platform? That’s not really about us. That’s about all of you believing the same thing and actually backing it up.
You took a chance on a small team with big ideas and not much else. You’re why BraX3 exists. You’re why we’re not stopping here.
The next chapter is going to be even bigger, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
– The Brax Technologies Team
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