Shite on a stick, nearly $500k. I have a feeling they had money to invest and had pending interest who were told to donate through kickstarter. And that ladies and gentlemen is a fantastic marketing mix.
Product? Shazam! The product is hitting the sweet spot. Clear, thought out, and accessible to all.
Price? Nice...affordable
Place? Obvious and cheap placement. Investors seem comfortable with it.
Promotion? Hype through massive early on investment, probably in purpose to chug the hype train. The massive investment will result in piles of free advertisement creating a snoball effect.