The Skarp laser razor campaign was recently booted from Kickstarter because there was no physical evidence whether the ideas it promised were actually going to work in real life.After being banned from Kickstarter, the team who developed the popular laser razor now transferred their crowdfunding campaign to Indiegogo.
The Skarp laser razor campaign managed to raise more than 4 million dollars before Kickstarter decided to suspend it. Kickstarter had a strict policy of requiring a working prototype for any gadgets that are being raised on the site. Another one of Kickstarter's policies is that donations will only take effect after campaigns ended, so Skarp Technologies never received any funding from the campaign.
"We take the integrity of the Kickstarter system very seriously. We only suspend projects when we find evidence that our rules are being violated," the Kickstarter management said.
Meanwhile, the campaign on Indiegogo has now raised $198,000 and is backed by over 1,300 supporters. Even if the campaign fails to reach its goal within the duration, Skarp Technologies will still receive the money raised. According to Indiegogo's policies, it does not require a working prototype for anyone who uses the site.
"Indiegogo has shown us that they are as excited about the Skarp Razor as we are," Skarp Technologies said. "It's clear they are interested in bringing exciting, cutting edge campaigns to their platform."
According to the developers, the Skarp laser razor can cut through hair without irritating the skin. Some of the benefits of using it include experiencing a close, smooth shave, not having to buy expensive razor replacements, no skin scratches, no accidental cutting, no razor burn, and no painful waxing cream. They also claim that laser razors are environmental-friendly because metal razor heads that are only being thrown away contribute to garbage dumps and landfills.
Developers also say that the laser razor does not require water to be used, and was built from aluminum which makes it lightweight. The laser razor is mounted with fiber that was free-hand-made.
Morgan Gustavsson, one of the developers of the laser razor, had invented the Intense Pulsed Light in 1989, a method used by dermatologists in hair removal and treatments. Years later, Paul Binun helped him develop the current laser razor prototype.
Critics say that the laser razor may not be able to work because of its unrealistic technology, but John Fourkas, a chemist from the American Physical Society Division of Laser Science who is not involved with the project, said that the part where the laser razor burns the hair off is possible. He also said that it probably might not give users a clean shave.
Watch Skarp Technologies' campaign video below:
