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The problem with that though is the equity stake is an important piece of the puzzle. It may seem a little paradoxical, but by giving out an equity stake you're reinforcing the non monetary social rewards as much as the monetary ones. Not to say of course that the money isn't important because it is, but my point was there is many kinds of "rewards" an investor receives. Money is just one part of the equation.

Kickstarter only allows projects that have a tangible end. They don't allow projects that have non-concrete goals like "make a business" or "hire people".

Kickstarter is essentially a form of prepayment triage: if enough people want to pay for your product in advance, you get the money to make the product.

Crowdfunding is simply cash for equity. The investor is not getting a product, so the Kickstarter model does not work.

Don't forget securitized debt!