Midemlab which takes place each year during top music ecosystem event Midem has an impressive track record as a launch pad for the industry’s most promising startups. With names like The Echo Nest, Songkick, Mobile Backstage and, most impressively, SoundCloud having participated in the competition, Midemlab has proven itself as great platform for startups to increase their exposure with the international media, key industry influencers and decision-makers.
This year’s 30 finalists come from a total of 12 countries. The finalists largely come from Europe, with the UK leading with six and France posting an impressive five in the final round, including Weezic, Songspot, Pulpix, Lalilala by Appiway, and Blitzr. Not surprisingly, the US is also well represented, however there are also finalists this year from Turkey, Estonia, Russia and Australia. For more details on this year’s finalists, you can read more here.
Of the 30 finalists selected for this year’s edition, one lucky winner will be selected from each of the following categories: Music discovery, Recommendation and Creation, Marketing & Social Engagement, and Direct-to-consumer Sales and Content Monetization. There will also be an ‘uber-winner’ across all categories which will be awarded the Vivendi “Coup de Coeur” prize. Winnng in this category has given a big boost to several winners, including 2012 winner London-based Urturn* which raised $13.4 million from a group of investors led by Balderton Capital just following its Midemlab big-win. Urturn co-founder Vincent Borel underscores how important Midemlab and Midem in general have been for his startup, stating “Midem works for businesses because you’re making very real connections.”
Of course, if you’re working in or simply interested in the music sector, you can still get tickets to Midem, coming up in Cannes on 1-4 February. They’ve got great startups rates as well, so definitely an event not to miss if music is your business.