Guest
Thierry Baujard
Thierry Baujard is Managing Director at MediaDeals, as introduced on the show.
Episodes (2)
Thierry Baujard of MediaDeals discusses why music tech lacks investors and how the Music Tech Europe Academy prepares startups for financing.
Xavier Péters, Thierry Baujard, Hazel Savage, and Florian Stadler discuss team, timing, and proprietary AI when deciding which music tech startups to back.
Questions these episodes answer
Why are there so few music tech investors?
A venture capitalist told Thierry his firm receives around 200 pitch decks a week but only one music deck every two months. With so few deals, the firm cannot justify keeping a music specialist on staff, so it does not invest despite a good past experience.
From: Bridging Creative Financing Gaps with Music Tech Europe Academy
What does Music Tech Europe Academy do for startups?
The Academy helps music tech startups professionalize for investment and market readiness. It provides tailored mentoring in finance, communication, and technology, assesses each startup's needs, and connects them with specialized mentors across Europe.
From: Bridging Creative Financing Gaps with Music Tech Europe Academy
Is music a good place to invest?
Music is interesting to invest in, but like any sector it has good and bad projects. Thierry sees the tech side as the main opportunity because the industry still needs better structure, and startups either fix small parts of the value chain or attempt larger change.
From: Bridging Creative Financing Gaps with Music Tech Europe Academy
How can music tech startups attract more venture capital?
Thierry suggests going beyond music and presenting as digital technology for entertainment. That framing can attract VCs with gaming or audiovisual experience, while accelerators and co-investment networks help give outside investors the specialization they lack.
From: Bridging Creative Financing Gaps with Music Tech Europe Academy
What do music tech investors look for in a founder?
Xavier Péters says LeanSquare prioritizes team first, preferring a strong team with a basic project over a great project with a weak team. They also look for product, commercial traction, and achieved milestones.
From: WISE Festival: Investing in the Future: Navigating AI Trends in Music Tech
How important is timing when investing in AI music startups?
Thierry Baujard says timing is always very important, and with AI, too early may be too early and too late is also not very good. Technology also needs room to keep developing.
From: WISE Festival: Investing in the Future: Navigating AI Trends in Music Tech
Do VCs understand AI well enough to invest?
Florian Stadler estimates 90 to 95 percent of VC partners do not understand foundational AI models, which makes investment decisions tough. Generalists fall back on pattern recognition that is still missing in AI.
From: WISE Festival: Investing in the Future: Navigating AI Trends in Music Tech
Should founders pitch themselves as an AI company?
The panelists say no. One warns against claiming AI when there is no MVP; another says calling yourself an AI company will soon sound like a company pitching itself as an internet company 20 years ago.
From: WISE Festival: Investing in the Future: Navigating AI Trends in Music Tech
How much AI due diligence do investors actually use?
Thierry Baujard uses ChatGPT and similar tools to research markets, and Xavier Péters uses AI for data and market understanding. Hazel Savage still relies on her own AI expertise and her co-founder's validation for angel decisions.
From: WISE Festival: Investing in the Future: Navigating AI Trends in Music Tech