Beirut: MAD – Music, Arts, Design; the innovative talent hunting platform, kicked off its launching session, on December 8 at Oliver’s kitchen and coffee shop –Gemmayzeh.
“MAD is a disruptive marketplace to discover, launch and meet talented musicians, artists and designers. Our platform, combined with our services, allows artists to live from their passion and build collaborations with each other and with brands. The launch today in Beirut and in Paris in January, are the first step in marking MAD as the next generation of talent hunters and producers in Lebanon and France”, said Lise Yacoub CEO of MAD.
The MAD platform reveals a selection of talents (actors, singers, musicians, dancers, photographers, directors, producers, illustrators, designers), a collective of experts in entertainment and arts, a crowdfunding space to fund talents’ projects and creations and an online store to showcase the talents’ products and creations, as well as pop up events that will be held in Beirut and Paris.
Rima Yacoub COO of MAD added: “MAD is the entertainment and culture community for artists, the public and brands. We’re the 360° ecosystem that breaks down walls in the creative industries and creates unique digital and physical experiences worldwide.”
The event featured 4 distinctive MAD talents:
- Matteo, one of the 63 countertenors in the world and the only one in the Middle East
- Boshies, Lebanese headwear and clothing brand, promoting a neo-oriental lifestyle
- Boo, illustrator, writer and musician meddling with surrealism and dark humor
- Band Industries, the next generation of musicians’ toolkit with Roadie Tuner
They presented their projects along with the MAD team, in the presence of the media representative and influencers.
It is worth mentioning that MAD was able to gather attention from large actors in the industry, VCs, and accelerator programs in a short time. The MAD marketplace is backed by Kafalat Innovation as this venture contributes in helping creating jobs and allowing local artists to grow internationally. MAD is also part of the French tech industry being part of the French accelerator program of Paris Pionnières where MAD was chosen among 40 companies out of 600 applicants and is anticipated to be certified as an Innovative Company at the end of this program.
