Learn to play musical instruments with AI-powered games

wefunder

Notey Inc. develops Notey’s World, a mobile music education game that enables users to play with any real instrument or voice. The platform uses a proprietary machine-learning audio engine and is instrument-agnostic, translating instrument input into game controllers and turning any musical content, curriculum, or methodology into game levels. It supports customization and integration of musical content, delivering a personalized learning experience. The product blends elements of educational practice with gaming, likened by the company to a cross between Duolingo, Roblox, and Guitar Hero.

In 2024, Notey reported over 11,000 consumer users and 36 schools integrating Notey into music programs, with 44% month-over-month revenue growth and 88% month-over-month user growth. The 63% free-trial-to-subscription conversion rate and a monthly engagement of about 15,000 levels per user, with peaks around 50,000 levels, were noted. Early 2025 results indicated continued momentum, including increases in installs, revenue, and subscriptions in January and February 2025, and strong December 2024 app store metrics. The company also cited 9,000 consumer users and 35 institutional partners with approximately $23,000 in monthly recurring revenue in the six months since January 2024.

Notey’s business model centers on school licenses and consumer in-app purchases. School licenses typically cover about 100 students for six months. Paying customers spend an average of approximately $35 in the app. Retention metrics are favorable, with Day 1 retention at 88%, Day 7 at 84%, Day 14 at 84%, Day 30 at 74%, Day 60 at 72%, and Day 90 at 67%; schools licensed through the platform report retention above 95% in the initial months.

Key milestones include acceptance into the Techstars accelerator in fall 2023, an open beta launch in October 2023 and the Innovision Award for Educational Technology in November 2023. Revenue generation began in January 2024, followed by a major app revamp in April 2024. The company expanded its consumer base and institutional partners through 2024, with rapid revenue and user growth continuing into early 2025.

The Notey team comprises co-founders Mak Grgic and Adithya Bellathur, with backgrounds in music, AI, and software development. The company highlights advisory input from leaders in the startup ecosystem and has backing from institutional investors. Strategic plans include expanding instrument coverage, broadening school partnerships, scaling internationally, and developing a self-service platform, alongside browser-based access and AI-generated personalized content.