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11/22/2024 10:32:25 am

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Baidu Leads $5 Million Investment in Music Technology Startup Tonara

Tonara

(Photo : Tonara.com) Tonara was founded in 2008 by Yair Vali and Evgeni Begelfor

Chinese search engine giant Baidu, Inc. is leading a US$5 million investment along with venture capital fund Carmel Ventures in Israeli music technology startup, Tonara.

Founded in 2008 by Yair Vali and Evgeni Begelfor, Tonara is a software technology company that develops sheet music software, including an iPad app of the same name it launched in 2011.

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Tonara's app is equipped with 'Magic', a technology that listens to users when they play. Magic can also follow a user's performance on the score and can automatically flip the pages for the user.

Another app developed by the company is called 'Wolfie', which was named after the influential Austria-born classical music genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This app is an educational tool designed for music teachers and students.

Tonara announced the investment Tuesday and said the partnership with Baidu will help the company expand its presence in China.

"Tonara has consistently pushed the envelope when it comes to developing innovative and revolutionary technology," said Peter Fang, Baidu's senior director of corporate development.

"Not only is there a huge global market for Tonara's music education platform, a large piece of which is China, but we see many other possible applications for Tonara's technology. We are certain that Tonara's future will be extraordinary, and we're proud to be a part of it." Fang added.

"Tonara's mission is to redefine the way music is taught, learned and practiced around the world by bringing music education into the digital age. We are excited by Baidu's endorsement of Tonara's vision and potential," said Guy Bauman, Tonara's chief executive officer.

"We're thrilled to cooperate with Baidu in reaching out to the Chinese audience." Bauman continued.

The move comes after Baidu's previous investment in another Israeli startup, Pixellot, which develops video capturing technology that enables broadcasters to record video using unmanned cameras.

Other startups Baidu had invested in include U.S.-based transport company Uber.

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