The WebScreen crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply has successfully closed at 204% of the funding goal. For a small open hardware project built around an ESP32-S3 and a compact AMOLED screen, this is a strong signal that there is real interest in a simple, hackable secondary display.

WebScreen started as a practical tool: a small screen that sits on top of the main monitor and quietly shows information that is useful but does not deserve a full window or another large display. Timers, system statistics, notifications, and smart home data were the initial focus.

From that idea, the project evolved into:

■ Custom ESP32-S3-based hardware
■ A 3D-printed enclosure designed to look clean on a desk
■ A Serial IDE for developing and testing JavaScript apps
■ A growing set of example applications

Development included multiple PCB revisions and many enclosure iterations, including overnight 3D print runs to test fit, tolerances, and durability.

Global Reach

One of the most interesting outcomes of the campaign is how geographically diverse the backers are. WebScreen units are now heading to:

■ United States: 50.0%
■ Australia and Germany: 10.0%
■ Canada: 7.5%
■ United Kingdom: 5.0%
■ Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, France, Singapore, Spain and Sweden: 2.5%

For a compact, niche device aimed at makers, developers, and tinkerers, this level of international distribution is encouraging.

The Role of the Open Source Community

The campaign confirmed the value of building WebScreen as an open platform instead of a closed product.

Much of the useful input during the campaign came from people asking concrete, technical questions:

■ Integration with tools like Home Assistant
■ Use for build status and server monitoring
■ Writing and deploying custom JavaScript apps

These questions helped shape priorities more than any internal planning alone. They also underlined a key point: once the hardware ships, the most interesting ideas will likely come from the community, not just from the original roadmap.

Open hardware and open source in this context are not only licensing decisions; they define how the project is expected to evolve over time.

Next Steps

With funding secured, the focus now shifts to execution:

Production
Finalizing the production batch with manufacturing partners, confirming components, assembly, and testing procedures.

Enclosures
Refining 3D-printed parts for consistent quality across the full run.

Firmware and Tools
Stabilizing the firmware and improving the Serial IDE to make the first-time experience straightforward.

Example Apps and Documentation
Providing a set of ready-to-use apps and clear documentation so that new users can move quickly from unboxing to customization.

Further updates on manufacturing, testing, and shipping timelines will be shared as milestones are reached.

Community and Support

Ongoing support and coordination with the WebScreen community will take place primarily on Discord. That is where:

■ Updates and experiments will be shared
■ Questions and issues will be handled
■ Ideas for future apps, integrations, and hardware improvements will be discussed

You can join the WebScreen Discord here.

Closing Note

Thank you to everyone who backed the campaign, shared it, asked questions, or provided feedback.

The successful funding of WebScreen turns a small, focused hardware idea into a platform that can now be used, tested, and extended by people in many different contexts and countries. The goal from here is simple: deliver reliable hardware, maintain solid tools and documentation, and keep the project open to contributions and new directions from the community.