Dutch startup AlphaBeats gets funding for tech that maximises music's relaxing effects

Dutch healthtech startup AlphaBeats is developing a technology that tweaks your favorite songs to help you relax and just raised a round of seed funding to bring it to market. The young company has an exclusive agreement with Philips to use the electronics giant’s audio neurofeedback algorithm. The algorithm combines AI with biofeedback signals such as breath and heart rate to determine what song to play and how to play it. Co-founder Dr. Jr Vellema explains: “The patented algorithm then adjusts your favorite music to bring your brain into a relaxed state: alpha mode. This adjustment is done very subtly to prevent users from being annoyed by the changes in their favorite music.” Such AlphaBeat-ised music can lower a listener's stress by a factor of three in as little as 10 minutes per day, claims the startup. Users can stick with their own cell phone and headphones. There’s no need for a fancy wearable, which means the company doesn’t need to worry about developing hardware either. The investment comes from LUMO Labs, an early venture fund in the startup’s hometown of Eindhoven. AlphaBeats will now join the fund’s two-year venture builder program to focus on market validation, and the team hopes to see initial market traction before the program’s end. The size of the deal was not disclosed. When asked, a spokesperson said it’s a “substantial seed round in equity” and that figures will only be disclosed in a Series A. Photo: CEO Han Dirkx using the prototype