Why We Invested in Edge Sound Research
Reinventing audio for an immersive, AI-driven future.
Over the past 40 years, media innovation has largely focused on what we see. What we hear—and how we experience it—has barely evolved. Despite being an $82B market, audio has lagged far behind visual technology in innovation. For every dollar invested in visual tech, audio has received only a fraction, and patents in audio have grown at less than half the rate of those in imaging.
EDGE Sound Research is rewriting that script.
”Our rationale for this investment centers on the market's recognition that the way humans ‘hear’ (audio) has lacked innovation over the past forty years, especially when compared to advancements in the way humans ‘see’ (media). Our enthusiasm for this investment stems from the solution's potential to address specific pain points across multiple industries, including sports, entertainment, automotive, and robotics.” - Justin Driscoll, Principal @ LEAD
Why Sound is the Next Frontier
Audio limitations already constrain emerging tech—think VR headsets that deliver stunning visuals but rely on flat, two-dimensional soundscapes that break immersion. With over 20 million VR/AR headsets sold globally in 2024, the lack of spatially intelligent audio is a glaring gap - overcoming it is key to fully realizing these experiences.
Immersive Tech Gap: VR/AR adoption is skyrocketing, yet spatial audio lags behind.
Market Growth: The audio market is projected to triple to $275B by 2032.
EDGE’s platform—spanning capture, processing, rendering, and reproduction—is creating a new category: intelligent audio.
This isn’t just about louder or clearer sound. It’s about enabling computers to understand and reproduce sound in ways that feel human in immersive live sports, personalized broadcasts, and eventually, machines that hear and react like we do.
The Founders Who Hear Differently
EDGE was born from two deeply personal journeys:
Valtteri Salomaki (CEO): A serial entrepreneur with a knack for B2B sales in sports and entertainment
Ethan Castro (CTO): Born hard of hearing, Ethan became a professional musician by training himself to feel sound.
Together, they bridge technical brilliance and commercial execution—turning what was once academic research into real-world deployments.
Why We Backed EDGE
Fan feedback from early NBA arena deployments showed a double-digit increase in reported engagement and immersion compared to traditional seating, underscoring the demand for this technology. Revenue tied to these installations has also grown steadily, reinforcing the commercial opportunity.
Our conviction rests on three pillars:
Category Creation: A first-of-its-kind intelligent audio stack with applications across live events, broadcast, automotive, and robotics.
Real-World Traction: Deployments with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Fox Sports, and MLS validate demand.
Platform Potential: From immersive fan experiences to teaching robots to hear, EDGE is building infrastructure for the next decade of sound.
What’s Next
By this time next year, EDGE expects to double its number of venue installations and broadcast integrations, aligning with the broader convergence of AI in broadcast and robotics adoption.
With a $2.5M seed extension anchored by strategic partners like Sweetwater, EDGE is scaling Embodied Sound installations, commercializing its Virtual Sound Engine for broadcast, and exploring robotics integrations.
The future of audio won’t just be heard—it will be felt, personalized, and ultimately understood. We’re thrilled to back EDGE as they make intelligent sound infrastructure a reality.
Edge Sound Research has raised $2.75M in new funding, bringing the audio innovation startup’s total backing to $5.5M. The latest round was led by Elevate Ventures and included participation from USTA Ventures, the DeVos family, LEAD VC, Cartan Capital, and Potential Capital, among other angel investors in the audio and entertainment space.
Disclosure: EDGE Sound Research participated in the inaugural Orlando Magic Venture Challenge.