BERLIN, June 5, 2025
One of the coolest things about the support we offer startups is giving them access to build their tech at Fraunhofer HHI, one of Germany’s leading research institutes. That means they develop their product with the support of some of the smartest researchers and most advanced labs in Germany. 🤯
Last week, NepTune spent a day in the motion capture (MoCap) lab at Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI).
NepTune’s AI-powered music education app uses precise motion and body feedback to help users practice instruments in a way that’s both engaging and effective. During the session, the NepTune team captured detailed motion data using HHI’s state-of-the-art MoCap setup with sensors capturing body and instrument movements down to the millisecond. ⏱️
NepTune works closely with HHI’s experts, iterating and refining the technology to make sure their technology is the best it can be.
Why does this matter? By gathering this high-quality motion data, they’re able to train their algorithms to better recognize and respond to how players move and interact with their instruments in real time. According to their founder Aleyna Tunca, it felt like they were “full-on sci-fi robot violinists,” which is pretty spot on! 🤖🎻
This isn’t just a one-off session – this is a great example of how access to a top research institution can accelerate product development. Having direct hands-on time in labs like Fraunhofer HHI means they don’t just get ideas – they get real data, expert guidance, and the ability to experiment with tech that would otherwise be hard to access.
As NepTune digs into the motion data and builds out the next version of their platform, they’re shaping something truly unique: combining AI, motion capture, and music to transform the way kids learn instruments.
We’re excited to see how this collaboration evolves and how other startups in our program leverage similar opportunities to push their tech further. 🤩
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