Batterizer redux?

[DickGrier]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1861872465/battery-eaters?ref=category_newest

[Augustus]

No, just a funny shaped variant of a joule thief with blinking leds. Actually, I quite like the idea, would be a nice gadget on my bench 

[XOIIO]

Not even close.

Well, I guess a batteriser basically is just a joule thief, so kind of.

Don't know why he has a kickstarter, or why it's set to that ludicrous amount of money though. Seems more suited to etsy.

[bktemp]

No, just a funny shaped variant of a joule thief with blinking leds. Actually, I quite like the idea, would be a nice gadget on my bench 

It does not look like the classical joule thief, more like a capacitive chargepump.
I have built a similar circuit many years ago when the LM3909 got discontinued:
It uses a 74HC14 gate for a low power oscillator and all the remaining gates are connected in parallel driving a capacitor that gets charged to the battery voltage and then added to the battery voltage, doubling the voltage and therefore providing enough voltage to drive LEDs using only 1-1.5V supply voltage. 74HC series are typically specified only for 2-5.5V, but most run fine even below 1V. Modern low voltage CMOS should work at even lower voltages.
This circuits runs for years using an almost empty battery.