# Fidget Cube Kickstarter

> Antsy Labs raised $6.5 million for a desk toy before shipping delays let copycats in.

- Owner: Antsy Labs; Matthew and Mark McLachlan
- Kind: Campaign
- Sector: Toys & collectibles
- Seed date: 2016-08-30
- Milestone date: 2016-10-19
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 67 (Viral, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Underdog, Platform jump, Press loop, Dupe economy, Controversy

## Summary

Antsy Labs launched on Kickstarter, then NowThis and other Facebook publishers relayed its video. Pledges reached $6.5 million. Shipping delays let copycats reach buyers first; Antsy Labs later licensed manufacturing and distribution to Zuru.

## Timeline

- 2016-08-30 — Matthew and Mark McLachlan / Antsy Labs (Open web) — Antsy Labs launched the Fidget Cube Kickstarter campaign with a $15,000 goal.
- 2016-09-06 — NowThis (Facebook) — NowThis posted a Fidget Cube video, beginning the Facebook relay identified by the founders.
- 2016-09-08 — TechCrunch (Press) — TechCrunch covered the cube and linked its Kickstarter offer.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/fidget-cube-kickstarter

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Fidget Cube Kickstarter.” Case HIS-01667. Spread Score v1.3: 67/100. Updated 2026-10-24. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01667