Beneath the Surface of Music and Technology
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BandLab Presents
Swimming with Narwhals
2021 Music Tech Startup Competition
For 2021, Music Tectonics teamed up with BandLab to present our second annual music tech startup competition Swimming with Narwhals.
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Caldecott Ventures, BandLab CEO Meng Ru Kuok's investment fund, earmarked up to $50,000 to invest in one of our winners!
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congratulations TO The Choral HUB!
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congratulations Finalists!
Witness the final round of pitches at the Music Tectonics Conference before a knock-out jury:
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Meng Ru Kuok (BandLab CEO)
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Bob Moczydlowsky (Techstars Music MD)
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Arabian Prince (Investor & NWA founding member)
Attendees will vote for an audience choice winner as well!
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Be there: get your conference ticket today.
Meet the Semi-Finalists
Ten fresh companies were selected by our panel of experts and investors from a stellar pool of applicants who are poised to transform the music industry.
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They pitched live at the Semi-final round at The Shock Before the Quake preconference in the metaverse on October 18, 2021. Our semi-final jury selected four startups to move on to the Final round of the competition.
Semi-final Jury:
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Meng Ru Kuok (BandLab CEO)
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Kareem Akhtar (Amazon Investor Fund)
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David Dufresne (Investor).
Eligibility
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Applicant companies must be startups with a valuation under US$2 million to be awarded the investment from Caldecott Ventures.
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Applicant companies can be across any part of the music tech eco-system with a new additional emphasis on music creation and fan-facing companies.
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Applicants must purchase a conference ticket to be eligible for the startup competition. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Timeline
August 6, 2021 Last day to purchase Early Bird tickets ($69).
August 20, 2021 Deadline to apply for startup competition (5:00 pm Pacific Time).
October 1, 2021 Semi-finalists announced.
October 18, 2021 10 semi-finalists pitch at the Music Tectonics Preconference.
October 26, 2021 4 finalists pitch at the Music Tectonics Conference online on Hopin.
October 27, 2021 Winners announced: Jury Choice and Audience Choice
FAQ
My startup has a valuation over USD $2 million. Should I apply anyway?
Startups of any valuation are welcome to apply and pitch at the competition. However, the $50K investment earmarked by Caldecott Ventures will only be awarded to a startup with a valuation under US$ 2 million. If your startup has a higher valuation, you will still be eligible to win the Audience Choice Award that made a huge difference for last year's winner!
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Why should I attend the conference if I am not selected as a semi-finalist?
So many reasons!
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Networking: Music Tectonics online speed-networking is a fun, fast-paced way to connect one-on-one with music tech movers and shakers all over the world. Your conference ticket also gets you into in-person networking events in the LA area on November 2!
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Getting business done: Conference attendees tell us every year that they meet new partners, clients, and investors at Music Tectonics.
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Planning for the future: Innovation in the Music Tech space thrives on conversation and connection across industry boundaries. Get ideas and actionable insights for your startup by taking part in deep conversations about the future of music and tech.
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What's the story behind this competition?
Read about the pitch competition on Platform & Stream.