App stores are crammed full of apps and games these days, so we're seeing increasingly ingenious ways whereby publishers and developers can market and promote their titles.

Appbackr takes this concept another step backwards, however, bringing together content creators and people who are interested in funding iOS and Android app development, marketing and promotion.

Dig deep

Fitting into the crowdfunding model and taking advantage of digital distribution, developers submit their apps, which can be at various stages of completion, for funding.

Individual investors - or in the site's parlance - backrs - then purchase bulk quantities of the app at a discounted price. The developer gets this investment upfront to finish the game or plan their promotion, while the backr receives payment - including their mark up - if and when the app goes live and gets sold.

The simplest example would be a backr pays 45c to buy an app, of which 35c is immediately passed onto the developer, with Appbackr taking 10c as its cut.

After the game is complete, the first copy is sold for 99c, of which 70c is passed to Appbackr by the app store. It takes an additional 3c, passing 10c to the original developer, while the backr gets 57c, a margin of 12c or 27 percent on their initial investment.

Risk-reward

Potentially, there is more complexity, of course, with different returns available depending on the completeness of the submitted app, while developers can set a minimum buy amount per backr and a reserve total in terms how much cash they need to raise before their deal is complete.

Backrs are also placed in a queue so the earlier you invest in a project, the more likely you are to make your cash back. 

Fundamentally, the whole exercise is a balance of risk and reward, with the developer giving up some of its revenue to get upfront cash, while if an app doesn't sell, the backr loses out.

Still, it's certainly an interesting approach - 161 apps and games are currently listed on the marketplace, with five apps having raised over $10,000 and a couple over $30,000.

You can find out more by registering at Appbackr or check out its FAQ.