On Wednesday, Quirky announced that it had closed a Series D Round worth a whopping $79 M. General Electric (GE), whom was already a major partner with Quirky, expanded their investment in the company adding $30 M in the D Round. The round also saw participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Norwest Venture Partners, RRE and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

WINK

So why are all the big shots investing in Quirky? Well the hype is based largely on the Wink Platform. Wink – the initial impetus for the Quirky GE partnership – is an app that allows consumers to access a range of WiFi connected devices anytime from mobile devices. Wink is, essentially, a platform on which people can build for the fabled internet of things, which may or may not exist.

But what is Quirky?

According to their FAQs, “Quirky is a company that makes invention accessible by bringing new product ideas to life through its online collaborative platform. Our global community works with us in every aspect of product creation — from ideation, design, naming, marketing, right on through to sales.” It seems, then, that Quirky is a group invention platform. Users submit an idea, the Quirky Community then votes on which ideas it thinks are the best, the Quirky team begins to build these products with input from the community – color, size, price… – and then Quirky and partners begin selling the product.

What is being invented on Quirky?

Well, so far the products have been focused in a few areas: Electronics and Power; Kitchen; Home & Garden; Health & Fitness; and Travel & Adventure. The most recognizable product to-date is the “Pivot Power Genius,” pictured left. The power strip, quite simply, “bends to fit every sized plug or adapter without wasting a single outlet.” However, there are tons of products to choose from on Quirky’s website. Things like the “Portion Classic” measuring spoon; the “Nimbus” customizable 4-dial dashboard; or the “Porkfolio” smart piggy bank.

Quirky has the potential to become a major player within the consumer product industry. With some major players on board as investors – namely GE, who has loads of consumer product experience – Quirky seems poised to make a major dent in the retail market. It will be interesting to follow along as people begin to incorporate the Wink Platform into new inventions and products. If nothing else, Quirky is a place where you can find some really cool products for this holiday season.