Indiegogo launches Express Crowdfunding to slash shipping delays

Indiegogo just announced Express Crowdfunding, a new campaign format that eliminates the platform’s notorious shipping delays by letting creators ship products while campaigns are still running. The move comes after the company’s infrastructure migration to new owner Gamefound created weeks-long delays that frustrated creators and backers alike.

The crowdfunding world just got its biggest efficiency update in years. Indiegogo is rolling out Express Crowdfunding in February 2025, a new campaign format that lets creators ship products while their campaigns are still live – ending the platform’s longstanding delay problem that’s been driving creators and backers crazy.

The announcement comes as Indiegogo tries to fix a mess created by its recent infrastructure overhaul. When board game crowdfunding company Gamefound acquired Indiegogo, the platform had to migrate to Gamefound’s technology stack – a system designed for traditional crowdfunding where creators need funding before manufacturing begins.

“Switching to an entirely new technology is always a major challenge,” Indiegogo spokesperson Maciej Kuc told The Verge. “The technology expected that at least two weeks would pass between the crowdfunding campaign and the pledge manager phase – the moment when orders are finalized, new ones are added, and shipping addresses are collected.”

That technical assumption has created real business headaches. Ayaneo, maker of premium gaming handhelds, had its Pocket AIR Mini campaign derailed by these platform restrictions. The company originally planned to ship by late November but couldn’t collect shipping addresses until December 5th due to “platform policy requirements.” According to campaign updates, Ayaneo can’t even request to enter Pledge Manager phase until December 2nd, with a three-day review process pushing shipments to “around” December 10th.

The delay isn’t just inconvenient – it’s bad business. Gaming handhelds like Ayaneo’s compete in a fast-moving market where missing holiday shipping windows can kill sales momentum. Android Authority reported the frustration from backers who expected their devices weeks earlier.

Express Crowdfunding flips this model entirely. Instead of forcing creators to wait for campaign completion before collecting addresses and shipping, products can move from factory to customer while the campaign generates additional sales. It’s a return to Indiegogo’s roots as a platform for creators with working prototypes, not just fundraising ideas.