The platform

DAACI is a next-generation platform developed to support artists and composers with innovative music tools. It enables effortless custom music edits and seamless video syncs, unlocking new creative possibilities and amplifying track potential while saving time and costs. DAACI’s patented generative technology enables real-time composition and adaptation of music, without relying on pre-recorded samples.

Dr Stella Mearns, DAACI Executive Assistant and Research Scientist, said: “The thing that really excites me about DAACI is that right from the very beginning when the company first started over, it’s always been to hold ethics and responsibility at its core. And in that sense DAACI really stands apart from a lot of the other generative AI music companies that are springing up all over the place. The way that we do things is truly different and I’m proud to say that we are flying the flag for ethics and responsibility in this really upcoming and growing space.”

The impact of Innovate UK support

Having previously worked with Innovate UK, the company has continued to follow new opportunities and entered the Creative Catalyst funding competition aimed at creative businesses developing new innovative products and services for the UK music industry.

Dr Stella Mearns commented: “The funding we’ve received from the Creative Catalyst programme has opened so many opportunities for us. As a start-up in the relatively early stages we had all these amazing ideas for research and development that we wanted to explore, but of course they cost money. When the Creative Catalyst competition was announced – ‘AI in the Music Industry’ – it was the perfect opportunity for us. It was amazing that saw the potential that our project was going to have. In this case reducing bias and promoting diversity in AI music tech and gave us this opportunity to push the boundaries of what we were trying to do so much further than we could have hoped.”

Through the Creative Catalyst programme and its extensive peer network, the company gained support that extended well beyond funding — unlocking valuable resources and opportunities to grow their professional network.

Dr Stella Mearns said: “The biggest takeaway is just knowing that organisations like Innovate UK exist and they truly do champion for companies such as DAACI in the creative industries. Without the Creative Catalyst funding our business is very unlikely to be where it is today. It’s very much propelled us forward in terms of innovation and development, and it’s given out team the opportunity to really focus on the issues that we are trying to address as we develop our tech.”

The future

Dr Stella Mearns added: “We’re so excited to now be starting to think about taking our new products and all the developments that we’ve made as a direct result of this Creative Catalyst funding and taking them out to market. It’s going to be absolutely brilliant to now see the real world application of our tech.”