Music Tech Europe Academy launches and opens call for applications –the first music-tech focused project backed by Music Moves Europe

15 February 2021 - Press release

On February 15, Music Innovation Hub (IT) and Media Deals (DE) are launching the European capacity building program Music Tech Europe Academy. The first Music Moves Europe project focused on music-tech, with the objective to further develop the European music-tech ecosystem by supporting rising innovators, startups, and SMEs across Europe.

 

2020 has proved to us more than ever how the music system not only needs to keep pace with the constant evolutions, but to anticipate those changes and even drive the change. A substantial and growing part of the innovations in the music sector takes place outside the traditional music industry and most of the change came and will continue to be coming from the bottom up. 

The Music Tech Europe Academy aims to discover highly talented music-tech innovators, entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs who are using technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, Blockchain, VR, AR, 3D Audio or MetaData in order to create scalable and sustainable solutions for the music sector. It’s a hybrid and scalable training scheme co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of The European Commission and coordinated by Music Innovation Hub (IT) in partnership with Media Deals (DE). 

“Our goal is to further develop the music tech ecosystem in Europe and create a level playing field between tech-savvy entrepreneurs, artists, music industry players and investors, to allow joint innovation efforts for the future music sector” says Anna Zò, project manager at Music Innovation Hub. “By looking for scalable solutions with a long-term ambition, taking into account environmental as well as social impact, MTE Academy fosters the development of a sustainable, inclusive, diverse and competitive music-tech ecosystem in Europe, with increasing and better access to funding and investment opportunities in music-tech startups and innovations.”

 

How it works 

Call for applications open February 15 to March 15. After being selected by a highly qualified jury, 10 participants will benefit from a 7-months program of online mentoring with top level experts in music and technology, exclusive industry meetups with experienced founders and managers of successful enterprises in vertical sectors, 3 days of Hybrid Academy in Milan after which an online investment pitch session in front of financiers will be granted to those participants who reached the readiness level over the course of the program. The announced mentors at this stage includes: Thierry Baujard (CEO, Media Deals), Turo Pekari (Senior advisor, Teosto), Matteo Tambussi (Blockchain investor & developer), Yvan Boudillet, (Founder, TheLynk), Juliane Schulze (Board member, Media Deals).

“As a European Network of Investors for the Creative Industries, we hope this initiative will offer scalable projects that could fit our investors’ expectations and thus strengthen the growth of the music sector across Europe.”, says Thierry Baujard, CEO, Media Deals.