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# Music Tectonics Startup Competition Opens 2025 Applications
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/music-tectonics-startup-competition-opens-2025-applications/
- Published: 2025-07-01T15:13:28.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-01T15:13:41.000Z
- Description: The popular Swimming with Narwhals Music Tectonics Startup Competition has opened applications for 2025.
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Music Business, Music Tech, music, music industry, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:15

The popular Swimming with Narwhals Music Tectonics Startup Competition has opened applications for 2025.

#### Music Tectonics Startup Competition Opens 2025 Applications

Startups in music and media tech can now apply for the competition. The final pitches will take place at the conference November 4-6, 2025 in Santa Monica, California.

First, a panel of music tech entrepreneurs, investors, and experts will review all applications. The ten semi-finalists will pitch at an online pre-conference event. This event will be judged by **Bruce Hamilto**n of **Everybody Ventures**; **Scott Sugino** of **Yamaha Music Innovations fund** and **Sun Jen Yung** of **Nfluence Partners**.

The four finalists selected will move on to demo and pitch in person at the Music Tectonics Conference.

There, a jury of investors will evaluate pitches on originality, likeliness to succeed, and product-market fit. This evaluation will select Jury Choice winners. Meanwhile, attendees vote on an Audience Choice winner.

“Pitching at Music Tectonics was a great experience,” recalls **Jessica Powell, Audioshake CEO** and 2022 Narwhal winner. “I originally came from a tech background, so pitching Audioshake in a room full of music people was a great opportunity to connect with the industry. Music Tectonics attendees are a great mix of startups, DSPs, and other kinds of music companies we wanted to meet, and after I pitched people came up to start conversations.”

“We had already enjoyed attending the conference once, so RealCount was really excited to participate in the pitch competition in 2023,” remarks **Diana Gremore, RealCount CEO** and 2023 Audience Choice winner. “The virtual semi-final pitch led to great feedback. At the finals I was proud to share how far we’d come in our roadmap since then.

![Shark and narwhal illustrations for music tech startup pitch competition 2025, digital graphic design, underwater theme, vibrant colors, innovative music and technology collaboration scene.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/spcdn-shortpixel-ai/spio/ret_img-q_cdnize/www-hypebot-com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mt-2025-narwhal-banner.png)

**Swimming with Narwhals Music Tectonics Startup Competition applications are open thru August 8 on the [Music Tectonics](http://musictectonics.com/?ref=hypebot.com) website.**

Early Bird Music Tectonics Conference [tickets are available](http://musictectonics.com/?ref=hypebot.com) for $349 before August 19.

#### Swimming with Narwhals Music Tech Startup Competition Timeline

- July 1 Applications open on the [Music Tectonics website](https://www.musictectonics.com/pitch-competition?ref=hypebot.com)
- August 8 Applications close at 11:59pm Pacific Time
- August 19 Last day to purchase badges at Early Bird rate of $349
- September 4 Ten semi-finalists announced, selected by a panel of music tech entrepreneurs, investors, and experts
- September 17 Semi-finalists pitch at the Music Tectonics Online Preconference
- September 23 Finalists announced
- November 4 Startup demos at the Music Tectonics Conference & Creator Fair in Santa Monica, CA
- November 5 Finalists pitch in-person at the conference
- November 6 Jury choice and Audience Choice winners announced at the conference

***Bruce Houghton*** *is the Founder and Editor of [Hypebot](https://www.hypebot.com/), a Senior Advisor at [Bandsintown](https://www.bandsintown.com/?ref=hypebot.com), a [Berklee College Of Music](https://online.berklee.edu/courses/touring-101?ref=hypebot.com) professor and founder of the Skyline Artists Agency*