MarathonArtists LABs: “Any Idea That Turns Into A Viable Business Is A Success.”

Describe MarathonArtists LABs in 50 or less words.

MarathonArtists LABs is a specialist startup accelerator, focused on business development in music & mediatech for product-ready tech startups. MarathonArtists LABs targets applications which optimise the exposure of creators work and its monetisation. The program is run by Marathon Artists, an independent music label based in Tileyard London.

What is your role at MarathonArtists LABs and how did you get involved?

I’m a founder and managing director of Marathon Artists a record label, publishing and artist management company. We were looking at how we could improve the ways we serve artist & management needs for engagement, revenues and experiences for fans – particularly for the artists we are working with. This led us to identify startups with applications that could address specific needs when launching a new tour and telling its story for example – even if those startups were not music business oriented. Paul-Rene Albertini who is also a founder of Marathon Artists runs a media tech venture capital firm, Sushi Venture Partners, which specialises in startup acceleration and seed investments. They connected us to Kalam Ali, Martin Weber and Scott de Mercado who also helped us with their expertise in tech startups and accelerators to quickly identify startups with synergies to our mission. It became almost a natural and organic need to launch MarathonArtists LABs. Paul-René, Martin, Kalam, Scott and myself are now the team that runs the program once a month in London.

Which technologies, industries or regions do you focus on?

We are based in London, the heart of an Indie music eco system. The startups we are enrolling in the program come from London, Berlin, Stockholm, Tel Aviv and NYC. We embrace any technology that can help expose, promote and monetise content as well as creating unique fan experiences. The origin, location or specialities of the teams doesn’t really matter as long as they have a competitive edge in their field and could solve music industry problems or create new opportunities.

Tell us a bit about your program – what can startups expect and what do you ask for in return?

The focus of the program is on business development. We will help startups shaping up and targeting their service, product and innovation towards the music industry’s real needs. We help them validating their proof of concept with real players in our business and generate turnover that will back their financial projections. Essentially all the boxes they will need to tick for a successful Series A.

Why should a startup apply at MarathonArtists LABs?

If a startup is really interested in the music and entertainment business, MarathonArtists LABs is one of the destinations they should consider. They will have immediate access to music business insights, expertise and networks. We’re based at Tileyard Studios, the new music village in London. Our unique combination of music and startup expertise gives us an edge that entrepreneurs will benefit from through gaining visibility in the entertainment and investor industries.

What do you think makes a startup successful? Which of the mentioned qualities are usually missing?

The entrepreneurs and teams are the most important component of a startup success story. Cohesion and team work is essential. For startups wanting to operate in the music business, an understanding of how the rights work, who the players are, what their precise role is and Artists approvals are essential. Some entrepreneurs believe it’s simple to have an idea, launch it, and scale it up, but the music industry is complex. That’s why we don’t expect our entrepreneurs to know the game from the get go. We help them navigate the ecosystem in order to build up traction.

With insane growth of accelerators joining the ecosystem in Europe – how do you make sure you stand out?

Unlike most accelerators which ultimately focus on seed investment, MarathonArtists LABs is fundamentally different in the sense it focuses on already seeded startups‘ business development and leads generation. We are here to build long term relationships with the selected startups in order to become their advisors, agents and a sales force. Our accelerator model is also different in the way it’s set up. We’re running a 6 months program where we don’t expect the teams to relocate for the duration of the program. They come to London and spend an intense full week with us on a monthly basis. Those weeks are key, because we arrange many 1-on-1 meetings with industry players who come in as mentors but could ultimately turn into clients.

In what ways do you measure your success and how do you make sure you don’t lose track?

Any idea that turns into a viable business is a success. We often meet entrepreneurs who aim to become the next unicorn or dream of big exits which is great, but if they manage to generate some top line out of their innovation, solidify a good team work practice and build up their KPIs it’s already the beginning of a success story. Every accelerator is facing the challenge of a long term relationship. Our program runs for 6 months but our business development support is set up to be long term. We’re aiming to stay partners of our teams through all growth phases.

If you had the chance to accept one particular startup right away, which one would it be?

I’ve not spotted that startup company yet! More seriously there are so many factors to a successful startup that it’s impossible to project without knowing them a bit better. Beside the project itself, its relevance and its timing to market; the “coachability” of an entrepreneur or team is crucial towards a successful partnership, especially in programs like ours, where we have an expertise in a highly fragmented industry they might not fully understand and we will become ambassadors of their product or services.

If there is one thing you can wish for improving the European startup ecosystem, what would it be?

From the investors side, a more risk taking investment culture would be welcomed. There is still a gap with the US (specially the West Coast). On the startup side, a more international approach is necessary. European startup culture is still a bit scattered across the diverse cultures and countries in the EU. That’s a strength we should play out more, a huge addressable market. But we’ve seen German startups focusing on the German speaking countries only (same with French startups).

What advice would you give entrepreneurs for their startup?

Don’t be afraid to try things out. Change your mind if you have to and take your idea to new places. It’s important to explore and confront your hypothesis with your target customers and partners. We’ve seen so many good ideas in absolute terms, with no proof of concept. It is essential to have some form of market validation even if it’s only a single case study. As long as it was successful, the startup can progress. We’re focusing on identifying a concrete value proposition for our teams in order to approach the industry with a crystal clear product or service market fit.

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