The epicentre for sound attracts new companies to start up business in Struer

Six of the first 17 international companies, participating in the SoundTech Accelerator Program at Sound Hub Denmark now register a legal entity in Struer, Denmark. Despite the diversity in their sound offerings, they all find Sound Hub Denmark and Struer to be the centre for sound innovation and perfect to start up their presence in the Nordics.

They are; Mapuguaquén from Germany, Ai Highway from the US, GigsGuide from Sweden, AVAtronics from Switzerland, pianini Edutainment from Germany and HL Acoustic from Germany. One of the companies has physically moved to Struer and settled here, one is recruiting staff, while the rest are establishing themselves with activities at the address and Denmark in general.

Why here?
What attracts start-ups to Struer is the level of expert knowledge on sound and innovation, which is present in the Sound Hub Denmark eco-system. Denmark is small, with a high concentration of competent cooperation partners and high-tech competencies within a limited distance. To this, we can add a strong tradition for open collaboration. Openness and proximity mean fast decision-making. Moreover, through a partnership with, i.e. Aalborg University, Sound Hub Denmark can establish contact to students and highly qualified potential employees as well as access to the newest research.

We are at eye level
Peter Petersen, CEO explains:

The Danish openness and willingness to help shine through the positive feedback, we have received from start-ups participating in the three programs, we have been through so far. We are quick to understand the companies’ challenges because of our deep knowledge in the sound area. After just a few minutes chat, we start solving the problem. The companies do not have to simplify things, the people they talk to understand the problem immediately.

Besides the benefits it gives to be present at the Sound Hub Denmark coworking space, with excellent facilities and access to qualified knowledge, it is also easy to establish a company in Denmark compared to many other European countries. Get a company registration number (CVR no), and you are good to go. The Sound Hub’s work with sound start-ups has already been noticed; as AVAtronics was selected as a finalist for the ’sound tech / smart industry’ category under Scale-Up Denmark’s National Finale 2019. Also, that Ai Highway got extraordinary attention, as it has become one of the very few companies, which has had its business case approved by STARTUP DENMARK and has been offered three of the sought-after 75 Danish start-up-visas given to particularly talented start-ups with significant growth potential.

Our next step with the companies is to ensure they remain in Denmark and are growing. For this part, Sound Hub Denmark will also assist,

Peter Petersen concludes.

Facts

• 24 Start-ups have completed the SoundTech Accelerator Program made in cooperation with Accelerace, of these
• 7 Danish start-ups and
• 17 International start-ups, of which
• 6 (35%)  New limited liability companies now are registered in Denmark, at Sound Hub Denmark, Peter Bangs Vej 17, Struer

A brief intro to the companies

Ai Highway from the US – is an AI-first company focused on making the screening of chronic diseases cost-effective at the primary care clinic. They are building AiSteth, an acoustics device that can screen, detect and predict heart disorders using state-of-the-art signal processing and AI capabilities.

AVAtronics from Switzerland – offers Active Noise Cancellation. A breakthrough ANC solution in the audio industry. AVA Active Noise Cancellation is the first and only True Wide-Band ANC in the market capable of selectively cancelling all annoying noises we want to get rid of without compromising the quality of music and speech.

GigsGuide from Sweden – is a service that helps travellers discover the local music scene of their destinations. Music lovers can use the service to get personalized recommendations for concerts taking place during their trips or to see where their favourite artists will be playing and easily find the best flights and accommodation options.

HL Acoustic from Germany – are making the building blocks for hearable devices. This allows headphone, hearable and VR/AR companies to integrate hearable functionality into their devices easily. This is done by developing enabling technologies for the next generation of personal audio devices.

Mapuguaquén from Germany– is the world’s first active sound system made of clay. The speakers are produced in limited, numbered series, using traditional craft techniques, local materials and regional aesthetics to give back protagonism to traditional crafts and to make ancient knowledge essential tools for the construction of the future.

pianini Edutainment from Germany – offers an app targeting children aged 3-7, which builds little music lovers and makes piano practising fun. All aspects of classical piano lessons are inside one game with cartoon characters who provide real-time feedback and are interacting with the child.