More and more established companies are using Kickstarter to try out new ideas. Launched personnally by FTDI's CEO Fred Dart the new Arduino compatible board NerO is such a project. The NerO project differs slightly from most crowd-funded projects in that the development phase has already been completed. The rest of the world may now decide if it will be commercialised or not.
The NerO is a revisited Arduino Uno with a much more energy-efficient switched-mode power supply capable of providing up to 1 A at 5 V (when powered from 9V or 12V) to application shields without overheating. Besides more power, the overal design has been improved on several points: power and status LEDs that remain visible when shields are plugged on the board, an On-Off switch and a now almost standard micro USB connector. The board is FCC and CE certified making it usable for commercial applications too.
Now on Kickstarter, the target is only £1500.

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NerO, an energy-efficient Arduino compatible board
January 2, 2016 | 09:46

If your Arduino project needs more energy than a regular Uno can provide then the NerO board may be for you. Specified for up to 1 A at 5 V without overheating this board remains cool under heavy load conditions. Now on Kickstarter at a very efficient price.
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