Experiment.com

experiment.com is a dedicated online crowdfunding platform for scientific research. It enables researchers to launch campaigns for hypothesis-driven or exploratory work and invites the public—or any interested backer—to directly fund the project. 

Who it serves & how

• Researchers: Scientists, including early-career and independent ones, can post their research idea, set a funding goal, and run a campaign to raise funds. They retain full ownership of their work and apply the funds toward their experiment. 
• Backers: Anyone with interest in scientific discovery can browse projects by subject (biology, ecology, chemistry, physics, social science etc.) and contribute monetarily to support them. 
• Publicly engaged research: The platform encourages transparency—researchers share lab-notes, updates and results with their supporters, fostering a closer connection between science and public interest. 

Key features & value

• All-or-nothing funding model: Projects only receive funds if they meet their stated goal within the campaign duration, otherwise, pledges are not charged. 
• Low overhead for researchers: Experiment.com charges an 8% platform fee plus payment processing fees when the campaign succeeds, and no fees if it does not. 
• Wide disciplinary coverage: The platform hosts projects across fields—from ecology, materials science, medicine to social science—so researchers from diverse domains can utilise it. 
• Open sharing component: Many campaigns commit to sharing data, protocols or outcomes publicly, the site encourages open science behaviour. 

Considerations

• Eligibility requirements: At present, funds must be paid out to bank accounts in certain countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia) for many campaigns. 
• Effort in outreach required: Running a successful campaign isn’t just about the idea—it demands storytelling, public engagement and outreach to build a backer base. 
• Scale of funding: The platform is more suited to smaller-scale or early-stage funding (equipment, pilot studies) rather than large multi-year grants—so researchers should evaluate fit accordingly.
• Backer expectations: Since the public supports the work, there is an element of communication and update-sharing responsibility beyond traditional grant mechanisms.