Montréal-based music-tech software startup BeatConnect has closed $2.25 million CAD ($1.86 million USD) in funding as it gears up to launch the latest iteration of its music collaboration platform.
The funding round, which closed in the first quarter of this year, was led by immersive tech investment firm Sfermion, with participation from returning investors Québec’s Fonds d’investissement de la culture et des communications, Anges Québec, and Triptyq Capital.
“The upcoming enhancements will broaden access to music creation, fostering new creative possibilities while focusing on the fun of making music.”
Founded by CEO Alexandre Turbide and CTO Nicholas Laroche, both CBC Radio-Canada alumni, BeatConnect offers a digital collaboration-based music platform, which includes a multiplayer digital audio workstation (DAW), that allows users to connect with other music makers globally.
The platform can be used by anyone, regardless of their music-making chops. The goal, according to the startup, is to lower the barrier to entry for music creators, and connect users in the same way a video game does.
The free platform was launched at the same time the COVID-19 pandemic forced music creators to work remotely. By the time the startup raised $3 million CAD ($2.2 million USD) in 2022, it had amassed over 6,000 users.
“Sfermion is committed to supporting intelligent, interactive, and immersive technologies that are building our digital future,” Dan Patterson, board member of Sfermion, said in a statement. “BeatConnect’s deliberate focus on enhancing the user’s creative process through UX design sets them apart from other online collaboration platforms.”
According to a January blog post, 2023 was a significant year for BeatConnect. The startup claimed it reached over 70,000 users by the end of the year, and added a number of updates and requested features to its platform, including Beat Battles, which allow users to participate in international competitions with other artists.
This spring, BeatConnect is looking to introduce what the startup described as a major overhaul to its multiplayer DAW, which will incorporate new functionalities to the platform.
A spokesperson for BeatConnect told BetaKit the software will continue to use Unity, a cross-platform game engine, adding that the majority of the changes to the platform will be to the user interface and UX.
“The upcoming enhancements will broaden access to music creation, fostering new creative possibilities while focusing on the fun of making music,” Turbide said in a statement.
Feature image courtesy BeatConnect.