MUSIC BUSINESS HUMAN

Andrew Batey is an accomplished tech entrepreneur whose 15+ year career has contributed to major industry transformations across entertainment, social media, P2P, IoT, and blockchain innovation. The Peak’s Emerging Leader has raised $150M+ for his own startups and filed 40+ patents across seven countries around artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and data infrastructure. As a six-time founder and executive himself, the companies Andrew has led have been featured in publications such as Mashable, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes, Wired, Billboard, Music Ally, TechCrunch, and more. Now, he’s scaling even more businesses as the founder of Side Door Ventures – a venture capital firm that’s invested in 120+ companies comprising $8+ billion in enterprise value. The VC’s portfolio companies have raised over $2 billion collectively from various industries including space, healthcare, cryptocurrency, web3, gaming, sports, and more.

Following his passion for music, Andrew is also currently the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Beatdapp – the music industry leader in combating artificial streaming fraud, aiding artists and record labels in bringing back billions in lost royalty revenue. The Canada-based company is the “Official Trust and Safety Partner” of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) in addition to partnering with music industry heavy hitters such as Universal Music Group (UMG), The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), Beatport, SoundExchange, 7digital, among others. Beatdapp has also been recognized as a Top 20 Music Company by Crunchbase and selected for "Emerging Rockets List" two years in a row. The team previously graduated from accelerators such as Creative Destruction Labs, 500 Startups, Project Music, and the highly selective C100 “48Hrs in the Valley”.

Beyond his day jobs, Andrew has mentored dozens of startups and hundreds of entrepreneurs globally, and has taught fourth-year Advertising and Marketing courses at multiple universities. When he’s not at his desk, you can find him on a snowboard or enjoying beach time with his family.

From escaping the Liberian civil war in 1990 to being featured in The Washington Post, Yudu’s journey is a testament to resilience and passion. He co-founded House Studios in 2010 with his wife Davina Thomas. Under their guidance, House Studios emerged as a key player in the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) music scenes, contributing to the success of artists like Logic, Ari Lennox, Wale, and Mannywellz. Yudu's work on Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly" is a career highlight, earning him a GRAMMY for Best Rap Album. Yudu and Davina’s success story with the studio reached its peak with an exit valuation of nearly $20 million, a monumental feat considering their humble start with $800.