Conductor-turned-entrepreneur gets £300k funding for music practice app

A startup aiming to make learning a musical instrument easier and more fun for kids has secured £300k in pre-seed funding.

nSpireMe, based in London, is the company behind an app that listens to children while they practice and offers real-time feedback.

The firm was set up in 2017 by music entrepreneur Stuart Barr, an orchestral conductor whose background includes work with artists such as Elton John, Dame Shirley Bassey, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Paloma Faith and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

nSpireMe allows kids to stream their sheet music with their teacher’s notes, listen back to recordings of their playing and receive real-time actionable feedback on ways to improve.

It is a three-way platform that also brings together the parents and teacher, enabling them to better understand the child’s progress.

Stuart said: “We are incredibly pleased and proud to announce this successful raise of pre-seed capital from Forward Partners.

“Over the past few months we have been working with the Forward Partners team to launch our product, which excitingly we now have done. Initial traction has been encouragingly strong and we look forward to supporting many more students throughout the coming school year.”

Luke Smith, investor at tech VC Forward Partners, commented: “The way in which children learn musical instruments hasn’t progressed for centuries, despite the huge innovations in technology.

“Between lessons children can often feel unsure that they’re making progress and parents and teachers feel very in the dark. We believe Stuart can change this and we’re excited to invest in nSpireMe.”

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