Mandolin
Category: AI in Media / Gaming / Entertainment
A digital fan engagement and concert livestreaming platform designed to help artists, venues, and fans connect through high-quality virtual live music experiences. Mandolin was founded in 2020. The company is led by Mary Kay Huse. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Team size: 30-60 (based on 2020 reports and projected growth). Total funding raised: $17M. Latest round: Series A. Key investors include High Alpha, 645 Ventures, Foundry Group, Marc Benioff (TIME Ventures).
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Team size
- 30-60 (based on 2020 reports and projected growth)
- Total funding
- $17M
Value proposition
To provide a best-in-class, high-quality audio and video livestreaming platform that recreated the excitement of live shows and offered deep fan engagement features and valuable data insights.
Products and solutions
Concert livestreaming platform, Digital fan engagement tools (Live+, Fan Navigator), Virtual VIP experiences and meet-and-greets, Data analytics for artists and venues
Unique value
Mandolin focused on providing superior audio and video quality specifically for music, unlike general-purpose streaming platforms. It integrated technology with a deep understanding of the music industry's needs.
Target customer
Musicians, music venues, concert promoters, and music fans.
Industries served
Music, Live Events, Entertainment
Technology advantage
Leveraged the CEO's extensive background at Salesforce to build a robust, scalable, and enterprise-grade platform tailored for the complex needs of the music industry and its fans.
How they differentiate
Mandolin differentiated by focusing on premium, high-fidelity audio/video production and creating a holistic platform that combined streaming with fan engagement, positioning itself as a high-end solution.
Main competitors
Veeps, StageIt, Nugs.net
Key partnerships
Ryman Auditorium, City Winery, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, AEG Presents, Ground Control Touring
Notable customers
Lil Wayne, Fitz and the Tantrums, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Firefly Music Festival, Waxahatchee
Major milestones
Founded in June 2020 Raised $5M in Seed funding (Oct 2020) Raised $12M in Series A funding (Jun 2021) Acquired NoonChorus (2021) Named Pollstar's Best Livestreaming Platform (2021) Ceased operations (April 2023)
Growth metrics
Hosted thousands of shows for over 1,000 artists and served over 300 venues and festivals during its operation. Grew rapidly during the 2020-2021 pandemic-driven surge in livestreaming.
Market positioning
Positioned as a premium, artist-first platform in the livestreaming music space, winning Pollstar's award for Best Livestreaming Platform in 2021.
Geographic focus
Primarily North America, with a focus on U.S. artists and venues.
Patents and IP
Information not publicly available
About Mary Kay Huse
Mary Kay Huse is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Mandolin, a digital fan engagement and concert livestreaming platform. She led the company from its inception in 2020 until its closure in April 2023. Under her leadership, Mandolin was named the most innovative music company in the world by Fast Company in 2022. Prior to Mandolin, she was the EVP & COO of Salesforce Marketing Cloud. She is currently the President of the Huse Family of Companies.