Spärkel: The Sparkle-Everything Beverage Maker

Thu Jul 25 '19 Announcement
almost 5 years ago – Thu, Jul 25, 2019 at 06:20:37 AM

Hello backers!

As we wrap up the campaign and work through production, we wanted to take a moment to share a few status updates: 

Two Week Production Delay:

As the main assembly was ready to start, we received some bad news from one of the subcomponent production lines. A tool making a crucial subcomponent was damaged during production and will need to be replaced. Production will be paused for two weeks while this tool is replaced. 

This means your Spärkel will ship from the production facility in August and will be at your door in mid-September. We will provide a more precise delivery date once the appliances are shipped from the production facility in the middle of August.

We appreciate your understanding. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Recyclable Carbonator Packaging : 

Carbonators production is underway and running smoothly! 

After months of research and testing, our engineering team was able to make the sachet out of a single plastic, which will carry the recycling symbol #5, a commonly accepted recycling category. 

The sachets were made with as little material as possible. Each carbonator uses only 1 gram of recyclable plastic. This is compared to approximately 30 grams of plastic used in each plastic sparkling water bottle typically available in stores. In other words, thirty bottles made with Spärkel use the same amount of plastic as one traditional sparkling water bottle. This is in addition to the environmental benefit of not shipping water. Shipping a 25g carbonator vs. a 780g bottle of water is a significant shipping weight and size reduction.

Recyclable packaging is unfortunately quite rare in food packaging, so we are proud to have found a solution. That being said, we see recyclability as the first step towards a zero-waste system. We are in the process of researching & developing options that would allow the carbonators to be packaged without plastic. 

Survey, Color Choice & Address Confirmation: 

As we mentioned in the previous updates, you will be receiving a survey via email from us that will allow you to: 

• Confirm the shipping address
• Select your Spärkel’s color
• Add bottles or carbonators to your order

Keep an eye out on your inbox, the survey will be sent in the week of July 29th.

Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out

You can always reach out to our team directly at [email protected] or via Facebook and Instagram - we would love to hear from you, answer any questions you have, and hear about your ideas about the future of extraordinary beverages.

With delight,

The Spärkel Team

Fri Jun 28 '19 Announcement
almost 5 years ago – Fri, Jun 28, 2019 at 09:51:17 AM

Hi there, friends! 

Now that the campaign has officially completed, our team is going to kick our production and manufacturing processes into high gear. As we mentioned in an earlier update, we’re still right on track for all of the perk delivery dates. You can check which perk you selected in order to find out when your perk is set to ship out (shipping will begin in August).

The Fun Isn’t Over Yet

Even though the standard Indiegogo pre-order campaign has ended, we’ve decided to set up shop for further pre-orders here on Indiegogo using their “InDemand” model of pre-order sales. It even uses the same link so it’s super easy to share with folks who may not have been able to get their pre-orders in before the campaign officially ended last night.

As an original backer, you received the best discounts we will ever offer. New pre-orders made during this InDemand period will still be discounted, though they’ll have less of a discount than was offered to you. 

Keep An Eye Out for Updates

You can expect to receive an email and survey to confirm your shipping address later this summer. 

We will be using a platform called BackerKit - it’s a trusted resource for a TON of crowdfunding campaigns and will help us make sure that your Spärkel is shipped out to you on time. We don’t need anything from you yet, except for you to keep an eye on your inbox: we will post another update about this before starting the process.

We’ll also continue to push out product info, exclusive company news, and insider details to you and all of our other backers through updates like this one. You can expect to hear from us about once a month. We have some exciting updates planned so stay tuned for those details!

Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out

You can always reach out to our team directly at [email protected] or via Facebook and Instagram - we would love to hear from you, answer any questions you have, and hear about your ideas about the future of extraordinary beverages.

With gratitude,
The Spärkel Team
 

Wed Jun 26 '19 Announcement
almost 5 years ago – Wed, Jun 26, 2019 at 08:56:57 AM

Hi there!

We are so grateful to have had this chance to launch Spärkel into the world with such an incredible wave of support. Of course, it’s only with your help that we’ve been able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time. For that, we are eternally grateful.

Help Us Hit $150,000

This is the last update you’ll receive from us until after the campaign has ended so here’s your last reminder: spread the word about the Spärkel in these last few hours of the campaign to help us hit an incredible $150,000 raised. You can do this through our referral program to earn a 20% cash bonus on all successful referrals. Read the full instructions here.

Discounted Indiegogo Pre-Orders End Tomorrow

Even if you don’t want to bother with a referral program, you can still use this opportunity to pre-order any additional Spärkel units you’d like to purchase for friends, family, etc. Just click here:

PRE-ORDER BEFORE CAMPAIGN ENDS

See you on the other side, friends!

With endless gratitude,
The Spärkel Team

Fri Jun 21 '19 Announcement
almost 5 years ago – Fri, Jun 21, 2019 at 12:44:29 PM

Hello backers!

In order to make the most accurate forecast for our production, we’d like to get some info from you about the color you plan on choosing!

[L to R: White, Black - Both Basic Colors]

[L to R: Metallic Blue, Metallic Silver, Metallic Red - All Premium Colors]

[L to R: Pink, Seafoam, Coral, Yellow - All Premium Colors]

TAKE COLOR FORECAST SURVEY

VERY IMPORTANT: This is NOT an official “it’s time to choose which color you’ll receive” survey. Your answers to this survey will NOT lock in your order. You’ll receive the official request for your color selection in the next 3 weeks, along with an address confirmation request. We’ll keep you updated.

Basic vs. Premium Colors

As a reminder, the base colors are black and white. If you added on (or are planning to add on) a premium color, you’ll be able to choose from the following:

-   Metallic Silver
-   Metallic Blue
-   Metallic Red
-   Pink*
-   Seafoam*
-   Coral**
-   Yellow--

** increased intensity since the last update, based on backer feedback
* slightly increased intensity since the last update, based on backer feedback
-- decreased intensity since the last update, based on backer feedback

Referral Reminder

Whether you make 1 referral or 10, you’ll get 20% cash back on each one - there are no limits to this referral program. Hurry though! The referral program ends when the campaign comes to a close next Friday:

SHARE SPÄRKEL = GET 20% CASH BACK

With gratitude,
The Spärkel Team

Wed Jun 12 '19 Announcement
almost 5 years ago – Wed, Jun 12, 2019 at 01:10:24 PM

Hello backers!

During the final two weeks of our campaign, we want to make sure that all of our last-minute sharers receive some SERIOUS rewards for bringing in new folks.

Even if you’ve already made referrals of your own, or shared extensively, here’s your call to action for one last push, with DOUBLE the cash back.

From now until the end of the campaign, you’ll get 20% cash back on every referral you make with your Kickbooster link. 

Join us today!

SHARE SPÄRKEL = GET 20% CASH BACK

Pilot Production Run Going Smoothly!

We’re so excited that the run has gone very smoothly thus far. Our engineering team has been working hard and we’re thrilled with their progress. Check out the photos of the team, hard at work:

If you’re not familiar with product manufacturing, the pilot production run is initiated after a few iterations of the individual appliance (prototype, engineering, and manufacturing) builds. 

During our builds, each appliance was assembled manually and tested extensively for durability and safety. With the pilot run nearly complete, we’re ready to test the assembly line, which includes improving our efficiency while ensuring our top-notch quality standards are met and remain consistent. 

As always, thank you so much for your support - we’ll be in touch again soon.

With gratitude,
The Spärkel Team