Sound Start-ups’ verdict: Expectations were exceeded

After six months, the first cohort of international start-ups selected for the world’s first SoundTech Accelerator Program initiated by Sound Hub Denmark in partnership with Accelerace has finalised the program with great impact for all.

A mix of seven small businesses and early start-ups from the first round have been through three camps, additional workshops and coaching in between. The focus has been to develop, accelerate, and upscale. They have had access to high-end testing facilities, international experts, partners and the extensive network of Sound Hub Denmark. This has been supplemented by support from the nearby craft cluster of related companies in Struer. For some, it has already meant actual collaborations on development and production.

The overall feedback from the participants has been extremely positive both in terms of relevance, content and location. Participants have commented that the program has made a huge difference, providing relevant and individual assistance adapted to each individual company’s situation in terms of maturity and complexity.

Even the best engineers need a businessman

For Cocobo, The Netherlands founder Boris Polsek the impact has been significant:

The whole point of being here was that I didn’t know how to go from idea to prototype to something that you can sell and expand to a business. I didn’t know much about marketing, the market dynamics, testing, or how to bring my idea into production.

As an early-stage start-up, Cocobo needed help with both technical and business-related matters, whereas a more late-stage company such as Distopik, Slovenia had utterly different challenges before applying for the program.

The company is not young anymore, and we have a product that the market needs. We were not sure how to market it, how to sell it, and to whom we could sell it. That was quite challenging for us. We are first of all engineers, not businessmen. So, all the skills required to get a product in front of someone and then for them to use it were new to us,

says Distopik CEO, Bojan Šernek.

Why tailor-made accelerators and niche hubs matter

Every participant has his or her take on the program. For some, it has been a deeper understanding of competences needed to run a business. For others, the opportunity to use state-of-the-art facilities. Some appreciate the sparring not only from specialists but also from other participants in the programme, and here you see the benefit of a specialised hub:

I’ve had some experience with other accelerators. My initial reaction to the program was a little bit sceptical or careful. But when I experienced the level of expertise that the team had, my concerns disappeared straight away,

says Frederick Rickmann, CEO of high-end speaker brand STEENSSEN. 

Thanks to the Quiet Room, we could reach the absolute theoretical minimum level in internal microphones for the first time in our Active Noise Cancellation tests. We are grateful for the opportunity to use a proper test environment,

states Jevran Hezaveh from the Swiss-based AVAtronics.

The SoundTech Accelerator Program is just what a startup needs. Tutors make you think about what is important to your company and your business,

notes Riccardo Belingheri, COO Specialwaves.

The experts pulled in specifically for us meant we could kickstart the design for another device in just a few days,

states Théodore Marescaux, CEO Muuselabs.

We have been able to further develop and improve the sound performance of our handcrafted clay loudspeakers,

concludes Pablo Ocqueteau, Founder Mapuguaquén.

Relocation matters
Being in Denmark and even relocating to Sound Hub Denmark and Struer for several months to become a part of a sound community with local anchoring in Struer (the home town of the world-known Bang & Olufsen audio brand) has for half of the group had an invaluable impact.

Participants from Slovenia, The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland respectively spend the period between Midway and Final Camp on-site to get the advantage of being present in the coworking, learning and maker spaces of Sound Hub Denmark.

The facilities and the people have taken us to a new level. People are incredibly open here and willing to share.

Is just one of the many positive comments received during the program.

We get similar comments from the second and third cohort of the SoundTech Accelerators Program currently running,

explains CEO of Sound Hub Denmark.

Interested to join?
The deadline for next SoundTech Accelerator Program is September 1, 2019. Check it out here: SoundTech Accelerator Program.