Sphero acquires music tech start-up, Specdrums

Posted on 22nd June 2018 By Billy Langsworthy

Sphero has acquired Specdrums, a Boulder-based music tech startup.

Specdrums offers app-controlled rings worn on a user’s fingers that turn colour into sound with a simple tap.

Sphero’s team of developers and engineers will work alongside the Specdrums founders to develop additional products that support Sphero’s mission of ‘inspiring the creators of tomorrow’.

As a result of this acquisition, Sphero will launch a second version of the already sold-out Specdrums in late 2018/early 2019.

“We firmly believe that play is a powerful teacher,” said Sphero CEO Paul Berberian.

“With the addition of Specdrums, we are strengthening the ‘A’ in STEAM in our product roadmap. With Sphero’s infrastructure and the groundwork that the Specdrums founders have already completed, we believe there’s a huge opportunity to continue to inspire curiosity in classrooms and beyond.”

Specdrums CEO Steven Dourmashkin added: “By partnering with Sphero, Specdrums will be able to reach even more classrooms and young musicians across the world. We’ll now have some of the best resources needed to make a strong impact on education, creativity, and play.”

In 2017, Specdrums launched a Kickstarter campaign and shipped its products to more than 1,900 backers. In total, Specdrums raised nearly $200,000 in funding through its crowdsourcing campaign.