Two Music Tech Enterprises Won ADE’s Startup Competition

Two innovative concepts received six-figure investments after winning ADE’s startup competition. SYNKii and Un:hurd impressed the judges with their forward-thinking ideas on solving key problems in the post-pandemic music industry. 

Back in spring, ADE and venture capital firm Antler asked the industry to pitch visionary ideas, products, and services that would jolt the sector. After receiving more than 100 entries, a handful of finalists were selected to make their final pitch during ADE 2022. 

Although there was supposed to be just one winner, the jury decided that the finalists’ trailblazing ideas were both worthy of being crowned. Music marketing solution Un:hurd and music education platform SYNKii received €100.000 investments. 

Both music enterprises will receive access to Antler’s global network of founders, investors, and industry experts. The venture capital firm will mentor both companies by delivering coaching sessions led by Antler’s leadership. 

Partner at Antler Youri Doeleman said in a press release that ADE 2022’s startup competition is “a unique opportunity for us to deep dive into the current state of technology.” 

“While in the applicants we saw some startups with technologies like NFT and Web3, from the finalists you can see that AI is currently leading the pack as the most promising technology across the music tech scene.” 

London-based company Un:hurd launched in 2019 as a data-first music marketing company. By using AI to turn music data into promotional campaigns for artists, Un:hurd paves the path toward the future of music promotions for independent artists. 

Dubbing themselves “the all-in-one platform for teaching music online,” SYNKii was founded in the early days of COVID-19. Drawing inspiration from Zoom and making it beats-focused, the company presents a remote alternative to traditional music lessons.