AN Edinburgh tech firm behind an interactive cube that allows children to discover, explore and learn about music has raised more than half a million pounds in its latest fundraising drive.
And Skoogmusic, whose Skoog device is sold in more than 150 Apple stores around the world, said it retains ambitions to secure an even larger fundraising round. The Herald revealed in June that the company was looking to raise up to £5m in equity investment.
The latest round, worth £560,000, has been led by the Scottish Investment Bank, with Old College Capital and private investors also taking part. The company said the finance will bankroll an international sales and marketing drive for the product. It recently clinched deals with two global distributors, Tech Data in Europe and Ingram Micro in the US. Plans are also in place to extend the Skoog family of products and launch new entry-level hardware next year.
Skoogmusic has now raised £2 million of investment since the University of Edinburgh spin-out was founded by Ben Schogler and David Skulina in 2008.
Yesterday it unveiled key changes to its leadership team to help deliver its growth plans. Mr Schogler has become chief executive, while tech industry stalwart Andy Gordon has been drafted in as chairman. Paul Murray, who took part in the latest round, has joined the board as a non-executive director.
Mr Schogler, who holds a PhD in psychology music improvisation, said: “This is another hugely exciting step for Skoog. The investment enables us to work with Apple and partners like Ingram Micro and TechData to reach more children in more countries around the world.
“It’s not what you play that’s important but it is crucial that you do play. And this investment means more play and more music for everyone.”
Initially conceived to help children with disabilities and learning difficulties, Skoog is now used beyond the education environment. It can be tuned to Apple Music, allowing users to play along without any formal training required.
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