Stockholm-based Tonada, an AI platform generating custom soundscapes for physical spaces, has successfully closed a €2.6 million ($3 million) pre-seed funding round. Led by early-stage venture capital firm Antler, the investment will fuel the company's mission to provide every brand with a unique sonic identity. Tonada aims to become the essential operating system for how retail and hospitality environments sound, feel, and ultimately sell.
Addressing a Gap in Brand Experience
Many companies invest significant resources into their visual branding while overlooking the crucial role of sound in shaping customer perception. This often results in the use of generic, repetitive playlists that fail to align with the brand's identity. Such an approach can create a disjointed experience that is identical to competing establishments down the street.
The commercial cost of mismatched audio is substantial, as demonstrated by extensive research from HUI Research. The study, which tracked 1.8 million transactions, found that brand-aligned music increased sales by 9.1% compared to random popular music. Conversely, generic hits performed 4.3% worse than having no music at all, underscoring the financial importance of a curated soundscape.
A Generative AI Solution for Sonic Identity
Tonada's platform functions as an operating system for the auditory dimension of physical spaces. Its proprietary generative AI technology translates a brand's core identity into a unique and continuously evolving catalog of original music. This soundtrack is then streamed across all locations and can be adapted in real time to suit different environments or times of day.
A key advantage of Tonada's service is that all music is original and royalty-free, entirely owned by the company. This model eliminates the complex and often costly process of licensing existing music, protecting businesses from potential fines. A single subscription fee covers all rights, providing a simple and comprehensive solution for businesses of all sizes.
Investor Confidence and Market Traction
The funding round saw participation from a strong syndicate of investors beyond lead investor Antler. Spintop Ventures, RTP Global, Triple A VC, and Karaoke Club joined the round. High-profile angel investors, including Vercel founder Guillermo Rauch and a16z scout Dora Palfi Osika, also contributed, signaling robust market confidence.
Tobias Bengtsdahl, General Partner at Antler, expressed his enthusiasm for the company's dual benefit to brands and consumers. He noted that Tonada is building essential infrastructure in a long-overlooked category with real-world impact. Bengtsdahl also praised the founders' rare combination of experience across AI, audio, and retail as a key driver for success.
The company was founded by CEO Juan Manuel Serruya, formerly an engineering lead at Spotify, and Jonathan Andersson, who was the head of sales at Wolt. Their deep domain expertise in the music industry is complemented by proven commercial experience in scaling technology products across Europe. This powerful combination of skills positions Tonada for significant growth and market penetration.
With this new injection of capital, Tonada is well-equipped to accelerate its product development and expand its market presence. The company is already serving clients in Scandinavia, the DACH region, and Singapore, demonstrating early traction and international demand. Tonada is poised to redefine sonic branding, making bespoke, AI-generated audio an accessible standard for businesses worldwide.