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# Mark Kelly on the Origins of Crowdfunding
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/mark-kelly-on-the-origins-of-crowdfunding/
- Published: 2013-07-15T20:47:26.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-06T18:29:22.000Z
- Description: Was there crowdfunding before Kickstarter? You better believe it.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Trends, HuffPo, Kickstarter, Marillion

Crowdfunding is all the rage these days. Sites like [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/?ref=philsimon.com), [IndieGoGo](https://www.indiegogo.com/?ref=philsimon.com), and hundreds of others make it easy-or, easier at least-to launch new products.

But more than a decade ago [Mark Kelly](https://twitter.com/markke11y?ref=philsimon.com) of the English band [Marillion](https://marillion.com/?ref=philsimon.com) beat Kickstarter to the punch. In this [TEDx](https://www.ted.com/tedx?ref=philsimon.com) talk, Kelly explains the origins of crowdfunding and offers some tips for those about to go down that path.

**Article originally appeared on Huffington Post. Click [here](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/mark-kelly-on-the-origins%5Fb%5F3600476.html?ref=philsimon.com "HuffPo") to read it there.**