Sony asks public to fund internal projects with its “First Flight” program

A new crowdfunding platform has been launched by consumer electronics giant Sony in Japan. Dubbed First Flight, the platform is designed to finance internal projects developed by Sony employees that might not fit, or be a little too esoteric, for one of its more established product lines.

First Flight forms part of Sony's Seed Acceleration Program, which aims to foster the kind of innovation that saw the company dominate the consumer electronics market back in the 1980s with products like the Walkman portable cassette player. First Flight gives employees the opportunity to seek funding from the public, rather than internal or external investors.

There are two products already available to pre-order through First Flight. The first, the FES e-ink watch, was actually already crowdfunded last year under a phantom company called Fashion Entertainments, a move that proved controversial at the time. The second is MESH, a DIY kit that allows users to turn add "smart" connectivity to a range of devices. Another product, the HUIS Remote Controller, is running as a crowdfunding campaign, which has currently reached around 20 percent of its 5 million yen (£26,000/$40,000) goal.

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