The arts exist today like the internet before Google
Education, performance, practice, and industry resources are scattered across thousands of platforms with no unifying hub. There is no centralized place to access the world's artistic knowledge.
of U.S. adults who have never played an instrument want to learn.
Gallup / NAMM, Public Attitudes Towards Music, 2009
US public school students lack access to school music programs.
Arts Education Data Project, 2022
scalable systems exist for aural skills training. The foundation for all music is the ear.
Solfera business plan, 2026
Start with volume. Build into the vision
Aural skills app
A freemium mobile platform capturing worldwide volume through gamified practice, where competitors are absent.
Video & audio learning
Expert-led streaming and lessons integrated into existing experience loops, expanding art forms with demand.
Industry solutions
Tailored CRM for arts organizations and Chartered Arts Administration Specialist credentialing.
One ecosystem connecting learners, educators, and institutions globally: education, tools, community, and industry under one roof.
Five interlocking systems
Solfera turns practice into a structured, learner-focused game. Beethoven-level hearing, democratized.
A $163 billion opportunity
Global EdTech total addressable market (2024).
Music EdTech segment (2025), growing at a 17.63% CAGR to $101B by 2035.
Aural skills + mobile serviceable addressable market.
Serviceable obtainable market in ARR over 5–7 years.
Sources: Grand View Research (2024), Global Growth Insights, DataIntelo (2025)
No one unifies all four
Pedagogy-first design, competitive retention via ELO and Leagues, and institutional analytics from day one.
Two revenue engines
$119.88 / year
Freemium to premium conversion
Full Campaign + VS unlock premium
Creator-driven acquisition loops
Standard (150+) · Progressive (<150)
Schools, conservatories, universities
Pilot-to-contract path
Analytics, rostering, and dashboards
Future: tailored CRM and CAAS credentialing as the platform scales into broader arts industry solutions.
$328K to $12.7M in five years
YoY growth
Gross margin
EBITDA margin
Unit economics, healthy from day one
LTV:CAC above 3:1 is considered healthy for SaaS. The planning ratio is set deliberately below the modeled ratio and is the figure against which acquisition spend is governed. Solfera plans against the lower figure and reports against both.
Five-year summary
Full three-statement model (IS, BS, CF) provided in the accompanying workbook, available on request.
Seed close to priced round
Seed close, development begins
Limited release 1: curriculum
Limited release 2: competitive
Public launch
EBITDA breakeven
Priced round
FY1 users: Q1 20–30K · Q2 50–70K · Q3 80–115K · Q4 130–160K
Three acquisition engines
Organic content loops
Partnerships with major music creators and mid-tier educators, with audiences in the millions. In-app profiles, ghost challenges, and co-created content.
Pilot-to-contract
Warm pathways into leading conservatories, universities, and orchestras. Case studies and references drive expansion.
Cultural momentum
Inaugural global competition at M17, twice yearly from FY2. Multi-week campaigns drive organic acquisition.
Leadership
Deandre Desir
CEO
Juilliard professor. Columbia doctoral researcher. EMMY-recognized PBS contributor. Music education policy economist.
Ehren Valmé
President & COO
Investment operations (HNWI). Formerly U.S. GSA, Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra. Columbia MA.
Nicole Magallón
EVP & Chief of Staff
Corporate operations at Oxford Properties Group (OMERS) and Onex Group. Operatic soprano.
Marshall Estrin
VP Artistic Operations
DMA candidate, Juilliard. Opera, orchestra, and chamber composer. Theoretical systems expert.
Advisory board
Damian Woetzel
President, The Juilliard School (informal)
Ben Spalter
General Manager, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Louis Hanzlik
Fmr. Artistic Dir., Orpheus Chamber Orch.; Chair of Music, UConn
Fredara Hadley
Board Counsellor, Society for Ethnomusicology
Joseph Alessi
Principal Trombone, New York Philharmonic
Ralph Charles
Dir. Policy, NY Africa Chamber of Commerce
Rod Mathews
CEO, TeamDynamix
Justin Nedd
Fmr. CEO, Guyana Telephone & Telegraph
SAFE · approximately 24 months of runway through early commercial validation.
Start the conversationRisk, anticipated and mitigated
Market adoption
Staged pre-launch releases validate product-market fit. Conservative growth assumptions throughout.
Execution & OPEX
Lean team with external partners. Hiring tied to revenue milestones, not fundraising.
Competition
Pedagogy-first differentiation. First-mover in credible aural skills measurement.
Financial
Variable cost structure. Downside scenario still reaches positive EBITDA by FY3.
Empowering every person on the planet to expand and achieve their artistic potential.
Solfera Inc · A Delaware C-Corporation · New York City