A Hungarian startup is among the winners of the Hub for the Exchange of Music Innovation (HEMI) incubator program, which supports the most promising music industry innovations.
On October 18, HEMI, an initiative of ten Central and Southeastern European music industry organizations, co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe program, announced which innovations have the greatest potential to shape the future of the music industry.
Among the winners, the only Hungarian company recognized was Startion, a startup from Debrecen, for its web application StageRider.
The Story Behind Startion
Startion was founded in 2022 by seven young professionals from Debrecen, including musicians, arts managers, and music-loving software developers. During the pandemic, they developed the foundation of a software suite tailored to the specific needs of the creative and cultural industries.
The Startion platform helps artists and their managers efficiently plan and manage their projects. Through its integrated modules, users can easily handle performances, clients, and various administrative tasks related to their artistic activities.
What is StageRider?
StageRider is the first module of this integrated system. It enables band crews and concert organizers to streamline their communication, saving time, energy, and money when coordinating technical requirements for performances.
Startion applied to the HEMI incubator program for idea-stage startups in 2022 and was selected. With mentorship from Boyan Pinter (SPIKE, Glastonbury, Believe Music), a music industry expert and festival organizer, they developed the first publicly available version of their software.
In 2023, Startion returned to HEMI’s business development program with a functional product prototype. Under the mentorship of András Bodrogi (The state51 Conspiracy), a digital music business expert, they were among the three winning teams from the incubator program.
Recognition and Future Plans
As an award recipient, Startion received professional mentorship, partnership opportunities, and financial support. This makes them the first and only HEMI participant to complete both of HEMI’s programs and finish the incubation process as a winner.
“We are honored that HEMI considers Startion StageRider one of the most promising music industry innovations. HEMI is an exceptional incubator platform with an outstanding mentorship network and experienced professionals, from whom we have already learned a lot. Our goal is to support artists on their path to success through digital tools, and we are thrilled to have HEMI’s partnership and support. We are excited for the next steps.” said Gergő B. Farkas, Startion’s co-founder and CEO.
Source: https://hemimusichub.com/2023/10/18/hemi-incubator-grant-2023-winners-revealed/
