ToneTree Launches Kickstarter for Oak Augmented Reality Playground
by  VentureBeat  • November 6th, 2016
ToneTree is launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its Oak augmented reality playground system. The Oak is a dock for your iPhone that turns any tabletop into an AR playspace. The product brings together digital and physical toys to create an AR experience. Augmented reality is expected to become a $90 billion market by 2020, according to tech advisor Digi-Capital. To get started, just place your iPhone on the Oak Dock, launch the Oak App, pick up an Oak Kit, and play. Oak comes with a variety of kits that let you immerse yourself in AR experiences, whether you want to play drums, fly through space, or create your own app. The Rockstar Kit lets you play any instrument anywhere. Just place the included pads down in front of Oak and break out into a jam session. The Gamer Kit turns your table into a battlefield. Collect powerful AR trading cards, place them in front of the Oak, and watch them come to life as you battle your friends. The Explorer Kit lets you pilot your own spaceship. Use a toy ship to dodge asteroids and battle enemies as you explore deep space. With your ship in your hand, you’re in full control. And the Developer Kit lets you create your own augmented reality apps. Above: The Oak Explorer Kit. Image Credit: ToneTree
Much like the Osmo apps on the iPad, Oak uses patented computer vision technology to see and understand the space in front of your iPhone. The items included in the kits are called “totems.” Totems are simple pads, cards, and plastic toys that Oak uses to control the virtual world. Oak also includes a laser in its base that detects when the user is interacting with totems. Oak came to life through an art project. The original idea was to turn the walls and floors of a building into an augmented reality musical instrument. “At the project’s premier, a little girl’s wonder with the musical instrument inspired us to push the idea further,” the company said. The team went through an accelerator program led by Intel Education. Oak will ship in August 2017. ToneTree was founded by three self-described nerds — Brian Cook, CEO; Ronald Sardarian, chief technology officer; and Max Escaler, chief marketing officer — from three different countries who roomed together at Rensselær Polytechnic Institute (RPI). This post by Dean Takahashi originally appeared on VenutreBeat. FEATURED

ToneTree Launches Kickstarter for Oak Augmented Reality Playground

Above: Oak is a smartphone dock that lets you engage in augmented reality games and apps. Image Credit: ToneTree
ToneTree is launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its Oak augmented reality playground system. The Oak is a dock for your iPhone that turns any tabletop into an AR playspace. The product brings together digital and physical toys to create an AR experience. Augmented reality is expected to become a $90 billion market by 2020, according to tech advisor Digi-Capital. To get started, just place your iPhone on the Oak Dock, launch the Oak App, pick up an Oak Kit, and play. Oak comes with a variety of kits that let you immerse yourself in AR experiences, whether you want to play drums, fly through space, or create your own app. The Rockstar Kit lets you play any instrument anywhere. Just place the included pads down in front of Oak and break out into a jam session. The Gamer Kit turns your table into a battlefield. Collect powerful AR trading cards, place them in front of the Oak, and watch them come to life as you battle your friends. The Explorer Kit lets you pilot your own spaceship. Use a toy ship to dodge asteroids and battle enemies as you explore deep space. With your ship in your hand, you’re in full control. And the Developer Kit lets you create your own augmented reality apps. Above: The Oak Explorer Kit. Image Credit: ToneTree
Much like the Osmo apps on the iPad, Oak uses patented computer vision technology to see and understand the space in front of your iPhone. The items included in the kits are called “totems.” Totems are simple pads, cards, and plastic toys that Oak uses to control the virtual world. Oak also includes a laser in its base that detects when the user is interacting with totems. Oak came to life through an art project. The original idea was to turn the walls and floors of a building into an augmented reality musical instrument. “At the project’s premier, a little girl’s wonder with the musical instrument inspired us to push the idea further,” the company said. The team went through an accelerator program led by Intel Education. Oak will ship in August 2017. ToneTree was founded by three self-described nerds — Brian Cook, CEO; Ronald Sardarian, chief technology officer; and Max Escaler, chief marketing officer — from three different countries who roomed together at Rensselær Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

ToneTree launches Kickstarter for Oak augmented reality playground

By Blake Montgomery , Michael Winters , Molly Levitt , Patrícia Gomes and Tony Wan Dec  3, 2015
“Color is the new black,” said Nick Lum, co-founder of Beeline Reader. And cobalt blue lights decked the halls and main stage at GSVlabs, where he was one of 10 entrepreneurs who pitched at  Intel Education Accelerator ’s inaugural demo day. There were companies pitching tools to solve well-known problems around math, coding and literacy. But other tools, such as a wireless measurement sensor and a device that turns any surface into a musical instrument—offered a reminder that learning happens everywhere (especially outside the classroom). “We believe 21st century skills are needed not just across Silicon Valley,” Intel’s Education Vice President and General Manager, John Galvin effused during the introductory remarks, “but in industries around the world.”
Here’s a “ look inside ” the first cohort:
Beeline Reader
BeeLine Reader is a digital reading technology that uses color to accelerate reading speed and literacy acquisition (by up to 20 percent, the company claims). While co-founders Nick Lum and Andrew Cantino developed the product to help people who spend lots of time reading on electronic screens, they also discovered it could help people with dyslexia and other reading disabilities. How Does It Work? BeeLine Reader uses a color gradient to guide a reader’s eye across text more efficiently. Users install the BeeLine reader plugin on their device browser, and the tool automatically converts text to include the gradient. The aim is to improve readers’ reading pace and understanding of the text. Who’s Using It? BeeLine says that its plugin is used 16 million times a month by users in 120 countries. The company recently signed a multi-year contract to integrate its tools into the California public library system. Business Model? BeeLine charges individual users $10 per year for unlimited, ad-free use of its tool. In the future, the company plans to focus on B2B sales, licensing its tool to app developers and other content platforms. Competition? Spritz offers a speed reading tool that works by showing one word at a time, on the same screen position, at various speeds. GotIt! GotIt! is an app that middle- and high-school students can use to ask for on-demand homework help on math and chemistry subjects. How Does It Work? Using the GotIt! iOS app, any student can snap a photo of a homework problem. The picture is shared with a community of tutors who can bid to fulfill the request. Through the app, the tutor can communicate with the student and walk through steps to solve the problem. The company boasts that students can get help within 10 seconds. Who’s Using It? The company estimates 5,000 questions are answered every day, and claims 50,000 monthly active users. Business Model? To submit questions, students need to spend “credits” that they can purchase through the app. Competition? MathCrunch and SnapSolve also offer apps where students can snap photos of math problems and connect to a math tutor. Griti
Co-founders Steven Broadbent and Damian Martinez believe that in-person tutoring is too expensive, but they also think YouTube tutorials are impersonal and sometimes shoddy. With Griti, they believe they can bridge the personalization of live tutoring with the accessibility of YouTube videos. How Does It Work? Griti offers course-specific video tutorials to college students. Former students who have already taken a class—and have performed well—can record tutoring videos (and get paid for doing so) for future students to watch. Some students can watch videos specific to the course at their university. Who’s Using It? Griti has over 11,000 student users across 14 universities. The company also also claim students are flocking, with 150 new signups and 1,000 video sessions per day. Business Model? While some video content on Griti is available for free, students must pay $3 for access more in-depth videos in each course. The company claims that 23 percent of all free users convert to paid users at some point. PocketLab
While doing their PhD at Stanford, the PocketLab team became frustrated with the labs, the expensive equipment and how science needed to occur in a room that was so separate from the real world. In response they created PocketLab, an affordable, portable tool to connect science to the real world. How Does It Work? PocketLab’s hardware device is a wireless sensor which measures acceleration, force, angular velocity, magnetic field, pressure, altitude, and temperature. PocketLab connects with a single button to a smartphone, tablet, or Chromebook and instantly streams and records measurement data. The team is in the process of building tools that allow where users to create graphs, and integrate data with other software. Who’s Using It? PocketLab is currently used by students and teachers from middle school through college. So far the team has sold about 2,000 units to educators and “Makers” in 43 countries. Business Model? The PocketLab sensor costs $98; the app is free. In the future there will be additional paid services around data integration and visualization. Competition? PocketLab is positioning itself as a competitor to hardware companies including Texas Instruments , National Instruments , Vernier and Pasco . ToneTree
Electronic instruments are expensive, so the barrier to entry with making music is high. So why not “make the world your instrument?” asks ToneTree CEO, Bryant Cook. His team of engineers and musicians developed Birch, a device that can be connected to a computer or phone which projects a grid on any surface that users can play like a keyboard. How Does It Work? ToneTree’s Birch is a device that connects to a phone or computer and projects a laser grid onto a horizontal surface. The app generates different instrument sounds as users strike the different squares of the grid. Who’s Using It? The company says there is a $7 billion market of “creative enthusiasts” who pursue creative endeavors in their free time. Cook says he’s demoed the Birch for the Black Eyed Peas—and they’ve been invited back. Business Model? ToneTree’s Kickstarter campaign will launch in April 2016. Each device is expected to cost $149.99. Competition? Drawdio allows users to draw musical instruments on paper and play them with their fingers. Vidcode
The founders met at a Startup Weekend Education in New York in 2014. Alexandra Diracles, then studying computer science, had worked as a filmmaker and photographer and wanted to stimulate girls to combine those two worlds, arts and code, to express themselves. Melissa Halfon had a background in software development and also wanted to see more women in STEM field. By the end of the weekend, their team had a prototype (which won the competition) that helps girls learn JavaScript while editing videos and photos. How Does It Work? Users (girls and boys, too! ) first take a photo or a video and upload it to the platform. They can then use JavaScript to edit this image, making their own motion graphics and other snazzy video effects. Once the project is done, it can be shared in the Vidcode community. Who’s Using It? Vidcode claims 90,000 users across 125 countries. The product is also being  implemented in 315 schools in Argentina, and by organizations including the Girl Scouts, KIPP San Francisco and New York Public Libraries. Business Model? Vidcode offers a freemium model, where introductory courses are available for no cost. For advanced lessons, pricing ranges from $10 to $20 per student, according to the number of licenses purchased. Competition? There are a slew of websites that teach kids how to code for free (like Codecademy and Code.org ) along with paid tools like CodeHS . WriteReader
Children pick up words most effectively when they are reading and writing about subjects they actually care about, says founder and CEO Babar Haig. The Danish company has created a tool where students can write and get feedback from teachers and parents, and get published. “Interest-based learning,” says Haig, is key to rethinking how children acquire literacy skills. How Does It Work? On WriteReader, students can create a picture book by snapping and uploading a photo, and write an accompanying sentence. Teachers and/or parents can see what students have created and offer feedback. These works can be published and shared with others in the WriteReader community. Who’s Using It? WriteReader has users in more than  4,000 classrooms across 40 countries. The company claims 110,000 users—and one million books created. Business Model? There is a free version of WriteReader iOS app available that lets users create a limited number of books. The $4.99 app removes this limitation. Haig says the tool is currently available for teachers to use in classrooms for free, but will likely charge $4 per student per year in the future. The company has also already raised $800,000 from the largest publisher in Denmark. Competition? Storybook also offers an educator-friendly tool that encourages students to write and publish. WordsU
WordsU co-founder Allan Zhang came to the US as an ESL student, and wanted to improve the experience of learning English. After working in investment banking for three years, he enlisted his colleague Sam Mendelson to achieve this goal. It seemed to work—at least well enough to prepare him to pitch onstage. How Does It Work? Students install the WordsU keyboard on their phone. While typing, the app prompts users to replace words in their text with more advanced synonyms (“Hello, Emma” becomes “Salutations, Emma.”) The keyboard interfaces with any app on the phone where writing is involved, including text messages and tools like Facebook Messenger and WeChat. Users can purchase different “personas” or packs of words, including one for SAT prep, one for English idioms and a fun pack for words and phrases popular in the 1980’s. Who’s Using It? More than 30,000 users have sent over 750,000 messages using WordsU, according to the company. Business Model? WordsU charges users for “vocabulary packs” of synonyms. Competition? A slew of companies, from traditional review services like Princeton Review and Kaplan to more established test prep companies like Magoosh , also offer tools and services for vocabulary test prep. Continue Reading

A Look Inside Intel Education Accelerator’s First Demo Day

« Bands Meets Brands: How To Make Money In Music 2015 [INFOGRAPHIC] | Main
SF MusicTech Names 2015 Startup Innovators Challenge Winners
SF Music Tech has named its 2015 Startup Innovators Challenge winners. Each will be showcasing when SF Music Tech convenes on November 10th. BTW, if you have not registered, do it right now. Prices go up tonight and you can save by using this link to register . The winners:
2015 Startup Competition Winners Presented in Alphabetical Order 
 
Audiokite | http://www.audiokite.com/
Music makers face tough questions. Which song on the album is the hit? What opportunities should we pitch? Does anyone even want to listen to this? Audiokite answers complex questions by surveying the people who matter most: actual music consumers. The platform streams your song for a targeted sample of listeners and delivers eye-opening feedback in a report. This data is actively informing composition, production, and promotion decisions for garage bands and major music companies alike. Chordify | http://www.chordify.net
Chordify is a music e-learning platform that automatically transforms your favorite music – from YouTube, Soundcloud, Deezer or your personal music library – into chords. The calculated chords are synchronised with the music in a simple and intuitive player so you can practise, produce and play to your hearts’ content. JoyTunes | http://www.joytunes.com/
JoyTunes is changing the face of music education by transforming the way people learn and practice musical instruments. Combining proven education methods, sound recognition and the latest gaming technologies, our acoustic engine auto-magically detects your piano or keyboard giving you instant feedback as you play, no wires needed. JoyTunes enables anyone to succeed in learning to play music. Nymbus | http://www.nymbusapp.com
Nymbus is the HubSpot of live concerts; a platform for creative, digital interaction and inbound marketing with every fan during a show. We engage fans through concert-specific content and audience-wide light shows on phones paired with LED wearables. We then track invaluable data on fan engagement during gigs and convert interactivity into in-app sales of merchandise and long-term engagement with fans that will generate and tens of millions in additional revenue across the industry. Setmusic LLC | https://www.setmine.com/about
We bring retail customers by releasing exclusive music through beacons. We are the first beacon network that delivers new customers by letting artists digitally “lock” exclusive content in retailers, bars, & venues. SKIO Music | https://skiomusic.com/
SKIO Music is a licensing and collaboration platform for the music industry. On SKIO, a curated community of artists and labels can engage in direct licensing deals, secure payments, and access tools to collaborate strategically, all on the platform. SKIO is taking the music business digital – music production, distribution, and consumption are already digital, it’s time that the business side of the industry adapt as well. TapTape | http://www.taptape.com
TapTape lets fans invest in the record deals of their favorite artists. By involving early supporters as part of the team, we provide a valuable financial resource and marketing tool for musicians and labels, while giving fans a unique connection to the artists they care about. ToneTree | http://www.ToneTree.com
ToneTree is redefining what a musical instrument can be. ToneTree’s flagship product, Birch, can transform nearly any surface into an expressive interface. Play piano on a park bench or drums on a countertop; the world is your instrument! Uberchord | http://www.uberchord.com
Uberchord is a subscription-based mobile learning platform for guitar and other instruments. Our (patent-pending) audio recognition technology enables us to provide a new learning experience: it listens through the built-in microphone of the iPhone and adapts to the user’s progress. The app is able to give real-time feedback just like a personal guitar teacher. We plan to teach musical concepts in a Duolingo style as well as popular songs with a fun and interactive gameplay. Visualartspeakers.com | http://www.visualartspeakers.com
Visualartspeakers.com develops a first and foremost single driver planar loudspeaker which accurately reproduces a wide frequency range. It transforms people listening experience in music and entertainment. The first product Ogeeg speaker is packaged into a solid wooden frame with custom art/picture printed on silk canvas for home or commercial space. Related articles

SF MusicTech Names 2015 Startup Innovators Challenge Winners

Intel Education Accelerator announces inaugural class
August 4, 2015
by Brian Sanders
6 min read
On Monday, Intel announced the inaugural class of their Intel Education Accelerator. 8 startups were selected from more that 200 applicants, with more than half coming from outside the U.S. All in all, the Intel Education Accelerator is unique in a number of ways. First, it has one of the highest funding numbers of all the U.S. based accelerators, with Intel investments of up to $100,000. The investment come in exchange for no more than 6% equity. Further, as Intel has incredibly deep ties to the education industry, the Intel Education Accelerator offers an underrepresented level of access to the market as a whole. Without any further ado, here is a brief look at the 8 startups selected in the inaugural Intel Education Accelerator, Via Intel :
PocketLab – made by Myraid Sensors – is a wireless sensor that allows you to explore the world around you. The device connects to a smartphone or tablet and allows users to collect several different data points at the click of a button. The PocketLab has 5 main sensors: an accelerometer; a gyroscope; a magnometer; a pressure sensor; and a thermometer. Vidcode teaches computer programming to teen girls by enabling them to edit photos and videos with code. Users can upload mobile videos, code effects, and share with friends. Users learn introductory to advanced JavaScript – preparing themselves for a job in graphics programming the future. BeeLine has developed a technology that enables students of all ages to read more quickly and easily on-screen. BeeLine’s technology also provides invaluable assistance for readers with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences. BeeLine’s key innovation is displaying text using eye-guiding color gradients instead of monochrome print. These gradients wrap from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, guiding the reader’s eyes and decreasing the cognitive load associated with reading. BeeLine’s technology has been subjected to independent educator and medical testing, and it has been proven to provide significant literacy benefits for students of all ages and skill levels. Griti produces on-demand video and live help that supports college students in their courses using on-campus peer networks. Griti identifies subject experts who have already taken a course and received an A. Students in the class submit questions, and experts respond with dynamic videos that build a customized tutorial library online for the entire class, covering core concepts, exam prep, and other topics. Instead of searching for generic, unfiltered content on the web, Griti tutorials match the expectations for the course and provide every student with immediate, relevant support that anticipates their needs. ToneTree strives to redefine what a musical instrument can be. The company’s flagship product, Birch, can transform nearly any surface into an interactive interface. Birch combines a small, attractive hardware unit with intelligent software for desktop or phone. With advanced features like gesture control and velocity sensitivity, the possibilities are limitless. Play piano on a park bench or invent an instrument on your dining-room table; just draw it and Birch will bring it to life. WriteReader is an award winning, literacy-based learning platform for children to share self-created books with family members and trusted communities. The app is scientifically based to help young children become authors and improve their reading and writing skills from age 3 by creating their own storybooks. WriteReader was nominated as the best innovation in Denmark by the Ministry of Education & Science. Echelon Creative builds education technologies that turn texting into the most effective way to learn. The core of the technology is an algorithm that can interpret natural language and transform normal words into their advanced-level synonyms to aid with vocabulary expansion. The company’s primary offering is a study tool in the form of a messenger, Words U. Words U automatically swaps advanced English words into texting conversations. This allows complex vocabulary words to be seen in the context of social exchanges, surrounded by easily discernible context clues. Each word transformation is shown in its proper idiom and is swapped for a synonym that makes sense for each text message. GotIt! is an on-demand platform for knowledge, connecting the world’s 7 billion human brains to provide instant explanations of problems. The company’s first product is targeted at high school students: Whenever they have a schoolwork problem, they simply take a photo and post to GotIt! Within seconds, the platform connects them with a study expert who will not only provide a detailed, step-by-step explanation but also chat with them to ensure complete learning and understanding.

Intel Education Accelerator announces inaugural class

These companies offer tech-enabled solutions that facilitate education and learning for people of all ages, from pre-K to adult and professional education.

Education Technology (Edtech)

Seed VC

ToneTree combines a small hardware unit with intelligent software to transform nearly any surface into an interactive musical instrument for innovative audio/visual education.

Date	Round	Amount	Investors	Valuation Valuations are submitted by companies, mined from state filings or news, provided by VentureSource, or based on a comparables valuation model.	Revenue	Sources
8/4/2015	Seed VC	$0.1M	Intel Capital	$XXM	0 FY undefined	1
5/20/2015	Incubator/Accelerator		Subscribe to see more	$XXM	0 FY undefined	10

Date	8/4/2015	5/20/2015
Round	Seed VC	Incubator/Accelerator
Amount	$0.1M
Investors	Intel Capital	Subscribe to see more
Valuation	$XXM	$XXM
Revenue	0 FY undefined	0 FY undefined
Sources	1	10

First funding	Last Funding	Investor	Rounds	Board Seats	Type	Location
8/4/2015	8/4/2015	Intel Capital	1 Seed VC		Corporate Venture	California
00/00/0000	00/00/0000	MassChallenge	Subscribe to see more		Incubator/Accelerator	Massachusetts

First funding	8/4/2015	00/00/0000
Last Funding	8/4/2015	00/00/0000
Investor	Intel Capital	MassChallenge
Rounds	1 Seed VC	Subscribe to see more
Board Seats
Type	Corporate Venture	Incubator/Accelerator
Location	California	Massachusetts

How VCs Use CB Insights

Professional Services

Platform Overview

ToneTree

Total Raised

Investors Count

Funding, Valuation & Revenue

ToneTree Investors