Loading organizations...

§ Private Profile · Honolulu, HI, USA
Crowdfunding platform funding scientific research projects. It enables researchers to raise money directly from the public.
Experiment has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Experiment.
Experiment was founded in 2012 by Denny Luan (Founder).
Experiment has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Experiment is a specialized crowdfunding platform designed to finance independent scientific research projects, originally based in New York City with subsequent operations noted in Honolulu. The platform enables early-career scientists and researchers operating outside of traditional academic institutions to raise capital directly from the public for their experimental initiatives. Backed by the startup accelerator Y Combinator, the organization successfully raised $1.2 million in initial seed funding to support a wide variety of scientific disciplines. The site has hosted notable biotechnology campaigns such as the Open Insulin project, and the business achieved operational profitability by February 2019. Despite reaching this financial sustainability, the leadership team made a strategic decision to cease active development and step away from the platform that same year. Experiment was founded in 2013 by former University of Washington biology students Cindy Wu and Denny Luan.
Key people at Experiment.
Experiment is a specialized crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to funding science-based research projects. It enables researchers to raise money directly from the public by posting their projects and soliciting pledges under an all-or-nothing funding model, where funds are only collected if the campaign reaches its target within a set timeframe. Unlike general crowdfunding platforms, Experiment focuses on transparency in the scientific process rather than offering tangible rewards to backers. This platform serves scientists, especially early-career researchers, who seek alternative funding sources outside traditional grants, helping them secure resources, engage with a science-interested community, and share progress openly. Since its launch, Experiment has facilitated funding for hundreds of projects, raising millions of dollars and fostering a new funding ecosystem for scientific innovation[2][3][5].
For an investment firm, Experiment’s mission centers on democratizing science funding by connecting researchers directly with backers, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. Its investment philosophy emphasizes supporting early-stage, high-risk, and high-reward scientific ideas that conventional funding often overlooks. Key sectors include biology, chemistry, medicine, physics, and interdisciplinary scientific research. Experiment impacts the startup ecosystem by enabling scientific entrepreneurs and researchers to validate ideas, gain visibility, and accelerate innovation through community-backed funding and rapid grant programs[5].
For a portfolio company perspective, Experiment builds a crowdfunding platform that serves scientists and researchers worldwide (primarily in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK). It solves the problem of limited access to traditional research funding, especially for early-career scientists or unconventional projects. The platform’s growth momentum is demonstrated by over 760 projects funded, nearly $8 million raised, and a growing community of over 41,000 backers as of 2019, with ongoing expansion through grant programs and partnerships[2][3][5].
Experiment was founded in 2012 by Denny Luan and Cindy Wu, former students at the University of Washington. Originally named Microryza—after mycorrhizae, the symbiotic fungi associated with plant roots—the platform rebranded to Experiment.com in 2014 to better reflect its mission of enabling scientific experimentation through crowdfunding[2].
The idea emerged from the founders’ recognition of the difficulties early-career researchers face in securing funding through traditional channels. They envisioned a platform that would empower scientists to pursue curiosity-driven research by directly engaging the public. Early traction included surpassing $1 million raised by 2014 and funding hundreds of projects, validating the demand for an alternative funding model tailored to science[2][3].
Experiment rides the growing trend of democratizing science funding by leveraging crowdfunding to bypass traditional peer-review bottlenecks and institutional biases. This timing is critical as early-career researchers face increasing challenges in securing grants, and public interest in supporting science grows. Market forces favor platforms that enable direct engagement between scientists and the public, increasing transparency and accountability in research funding[4][5].
By providing a dedicated space for science crowdfunding, Experiment influences the broader ecosystem by:
Experiment is poised to continue expanding its impact by scaling its grant programs and enhancing its platform to support a broader range of researchers globally. Trends shaping its journey include increasing demand for alternative research funding, growing public interest in science engagement, and the rise of fast, flexible grant mechanisms.
Its influence may evolve from a niche crowdfunding site to a critical component of the scientific funding ecosystem, potentially partnering more with foundations, companies, and federal agencies to channel resources efficiently. The platform’s emphasis on agency and rapid funding could accelerate breakthroughs by enabling researchers to pursue bold ideas without traditional constraints[5].
In summary, Experiment exemplifies a transformative approach to science funding, empowering researchers and democratizing discovery through community-backed support and innovative grantmaking.
Experiment was founded in 2012 by Denny Luan (Founder).
Experiment has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Experiment's investors include Alpaca VC, Andreessen Horowitz, Audrey Capital, Blisce, Matt Ocko, Electric Capital, Felicis Ventures, Firework Ventures, FJ Labs, Founders Fund, Grit Capital Partners, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund.
Experiment has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Series U in May 2013.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2013 | $1M Series U | — | Alpaca VC, Andreessen Horowitz, Audrey Capital, Blisce, Matt Ocko, Electric Capital, Felicis Ventures, Firework Ventures, FJ Labs, Founders Fund, Grit Capital Partners, Jude Gomila Rolling Fund, K5 Ventures, Ligature, Lightbank, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Long Journey Ventures, Offline Ventures, Origin Ventures, Palisades Growth Capital, Portage Ventures, Queensbridge Venture Partners, Seven Seven SIX, Silicon Valley Connect, Techstars, Tekton Ventures, The HIT Forge, UpHonest Capital, Y Combinator, Aayush Phumbhra, Anthony Saleh, Dave Schappell, David Vélez, Erik Blachford, Erik Moore, Esther Dyson, Evan Cheng, Greg Kidd, Halle Tecco, Jaan Tallinn, Jeffrey Blackburn, KAI Huang, Ligaya Tichy, Oliver Jung, Rashaun Williams, Richard Chen, Robin Pimentel, Scott Banister, Tikhon Bernstam, TIM Kendall, William Boebel | Announced |