Kickstarter Joins CoCreate Pitch 2025 as Official Crowdfunding Partner

Kickstarter is the official crowdfunding partner of CoCreate Pitch 2025, a $1 million global pitch competition designed to empower entrepreneurs to take their product ideas from prototype to global distribution.

This partnership brings together two global platforms that share a commitment to empowering entrepreneurs: Kickstarter, where creative ideas gain early support and funding, and Alibaba.com, where businesses scale to global markets. Together, we’ll unite proven ecosystems — Kickstarter’s community of 23 million backers who’ve pledged over $8.5 billion to creative projects, and Alibaba.com’s network of 50 million global business buyers and 200 thousand suppliers across 200+ countries, plus AI-powered sourcing tools and supply chain expertise. By bridging crowdfunding and commerce, the partnership gives entrepreneurs the resources, visibility, guidance and infrastructure they need to launch and grow their businesses.

About CoCreate Pitch 2025

CoCreate Pitch is part of Alibaba’s annual CoCreate conference and is poised to become the world’s largest product-based pitch competition. Over 100 semi-finalists will be selected from a global applicant pool to compete in two regional events: 70 will pitch live in Las Vegas on September 4–5, 2025, and 30 will pitch in London on November 14, 2025.

Two grand prize winners (one from each region) will receive $200,000 in funding, split evenly between cash and Alibaba.com sourcing credits. An additional 20 winners will be awarded up to $40,000 each. All participants will gain complimentary access to Alibaba.com’s platform, sourcing tools, and supplier network.

Finalists will present their ideas to a panel of experienced investors, industry leaders, and e-commerce experts, including Kickstarter CEO, Everette Taylor. Submissions will be evaluated based on innovation, feasibility, and market potential.

“This partnership with Kickstarter aligns perfectly with our mission, creating a stronger bridge between idea and execution. Through CoCreate Pitch, we’re excited to support a new generation of founders with not just funding, but also the tools, expertise, and infrastructure to help them grow and compete globally.” - Kuo Zhang, Alibaba.com President 

How Kickstarter Will Support Finalists

Kickstarter has been home to over 275,000 successfully funded creative projects backed by more than 23 million people worldwide. Our platform helps creators turn ideas into reality by rallying early support, validating demand, and building community.

Kickstarter will offer a cohort-based coaching program for pitch winners who plan to launch their crowdfunding campaigns within 12 months of the events. Finalists who launch campaigns on Kickstarter within this timeframe will receive exclusive benefits on both platforms, including homepage feature listing on Kickstarter.com, newsletter placements, coaching from Kickstarter experts, and promotional spotlights on both platforms’ marketing channels. 

Alibaba.com and Kickstarter will launch co-branded digital portals on both Kickstarter.com and AlibabaCoCreate.com, offering applicants tailored resources and streamlined entry into the CoCreate Pitch competition.

Kickstarter Chief Marketing Officer Courtney Brown Warren will also lead a panel discussion, focused on alternative funding for entrepreneurs, at both CoCreate Las Vegas and CoCreate London.

“We’re proud to be a part of this year’s CoCreate programming and excited to support both the competition and the journey that follows. For the finalists who choose to launch on Kickstarter, we’re looking forward to helping them take the next step: bringing their ideas to life with the support of a passionate global community.” - Everette Taylor, CEO

How to Get Involved

Entrepreneurs interested in applying to CoCreate Pitch can do so in one of two ways: by submitting a 30-second video on Instagram or TikTok using the hashtag #CoCreatePitch and tagging @Alibaba.com_official, or by completing the official entry form.

The application deadline for the Las Vegas event is August 15, and the deadline for London is October 15.

To learn more or apply to CoCreate Pitch 2025, visit pitch.alibabacocreate.com