Supield Inc, creator of the thin but warm jacket line, S Kistler, has successfully reached its initial funding goal of US$25,000 in only three days on Kickstarter.
The crowdfunding campaign will empower the Supield team to take the Kistler Aerogel Jacket series into full production and ship to outdoor enthusiasts all over the world following the campaign.
“The responses from Kickstarter are overwhelming. In addition to the US market, we have received support from backers from everywhere – Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Romania, France, Spain, Thailand, China, India, etc,” says Jie Yan, founder and CEO of Supield Inc.
“We are truly grateful to the backers and are committed to impressing them with our jackets.”
Aerogel is known as a technology of the Space Age, which is traditionally used in NASA spacesuits. However, outerwear companies have struggled to incorporate aerogel into clothing – they could not find the perfect balance of warmth, thickness and weight.
After three years of research and development, the Supield team successfully advanced the insulative component into the material, creating perfect winter jackets that are warm, thin and light. To fully capitalise on the potential of the advanced aerogel technology, Supield Inc announced a stretch goal of aerogel insulated gloves if the initial funding goal doubles – raising US$50,000.
The Kistler Jackets have an ultra-thin 3D mesh composite of aerogel that is placed between the outer layer and the inner lining of the jacket to provide a high level of heat insulation. The jackets are offered in various styles to meet a variety of consumer needs.
The lightest and thinnest jacket, Kistler Series 3, resists temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C), is only 0.5 mm in thickness and weighs less than one pound. The warmest, thickest version of the jacket, the Kistler Series 7, has a 3 mm aerogel insulation layer, which is only about 1.5 kg in weight — 50% lighter than the leading aerogel jacket on the market. The Kistler Series 5 is said to be the best option for those looking for a warm, hooded jacket. The Kistler Series R uses the first single-layer aerogel composite, which is a revolutionary way to incorporate aerogel into clothing production, says Supield.
Chief scientist at Supield, Dr Lu Haiming, who earned a PhD in Materials Engineering at Imperial College London, UK, is currently a faculty member at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Chen Xi, co-founder of Supield, is a member of the China Industrial Design Association and received a master’s in the British design space. Chief scientific advisor, Dr Zhang, is a leading expert in the application of new gel materials and nano materials.
For more information about the Kistler Jackets range, visit pr.go2.fund/kistler