Large brands are now using crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo to validate and market new products, Indiegogo’s European director Anastasia Emmanuel told Siliconrepublic.com.

Indiegogo was founded in 2008 by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin and Eric Schell at the Sundance Film Festival and today it battles with Kickstarter as one of the key means by which start-ups, activists and non-government bodies raise finance.

“From day one we went out there and said finance is broken,” Emmanuel said.

“Anyone in the world can place an idea on Indiegogo and raise money.”