Exploring Novel Funding Strategies for Innovative Medical Research: The HORAO Crowdfunding Campaign

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Online crowdfunding is a growing funding strategy, yet underutilized in scientific research.
• The HORAO project aimed to develop a noninvasive method for visualizing neuronal tracts during brain surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the viability of online crowdfunding for a neuroscience project.
• To fund the development of a real-time, noninvasive method for visualizing neuronal fiber tracts during brain surgery.

Main Methods:

• A 7-week reward-based crowdfunding campaign was conducted on a national platform.
• Owned media (websites, social media) and earned media (press releases) were used for promotion.
• An explanatory video and social media posts were created to engage potential donors.

Main Results:

• The campaign exceeded its target, raising CHF 69,109 (approximately $50,000).
• Donations were split between those forgoing rewards and those selecting material or experiential rewards.
• Patients and their relatives were the largest donor group, contributing 30.17% of the funds.

Conclusions:

• Online crowdfunding is an effective strategy for funding scientific projects and raising public awareness of clinical issues.
• Targeting donors with a personal connection, like patients and their families, enhances funding success.
• Communicating complex medical challenges to the public requires new skills in video and social media engagement.