"I just saw that it's retailing for $299. It all feels rather cynical."

Huh? For a $99 pledge, you get the $299 license when it launches, it looks like.

This looks like every other product kickstarter, which essentially are saying, "We've invested considerable time and money. We're committed. We'd love to have you pitch in to help accelerate us and get us over the finish line. In exchange, your pledges entitle you to discounts and other favors."