For those who believe in the promise of open innovation, the 2009 startup Quirky was an exceptionally exciting company. Founded by entrepreneur Ben Kaufman, Quirky developed a platform that connected the company with outside inventors and project contributors. Within a few years, the company built a community of over a million members, commercialized over 100 products, and raised over $180 million in venture capital funding.  Yet, in September 2015, Quirky went bankrupt.