Story of Suno: Founder and CEO - Mikey Shulman
Story of Suno:
The Birth of Suno
In 2021, Mikey Shulman, along with Martin Camacho, Georg Kucsko, and Keenan
Freyberg, began working on a bold idea an AI platform that could allow anyone
to create music with nothing more than a text prompt. By 2022, this idea
officially took shape as Suno, headquartered in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Their vision was simple yet powerful: to make music creation
accessible to everyone, regardless of technical skill or musical background.
From Physics to Music Innovation
Before founding Suno, Shulman’s career path was steeped in science and
technology. He studied applied physics at Columbia University and later earned
a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard. His early professional journey included
working as the first machine learning engineer at Kensho Technologies, a
financial analytics startup later acquired by S&P Global. These experiences
gave him the technical foundation and problem-solving skills that would later
prove essential in building an AI-driven music company.
A Strong Academic and Industry Background
Beyond Suno, Shulman also served as a lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of
Management starting in 2018. This role allowed him to bridge academia with
industry and sharpen his leadership perspective. His career was a mix of
science, entrepreneurship, and teaching, which gave him the unique ability to
bring together technical expertise with business insight—qualities that fueled
Suno’s rapid growth.
The Rise of AI Music Creation
Suno quickly gained attention for its ability to generate complete songs,
including lyrics, instrumentals, and vocals, all from simple text prompts. The
platform combined its proprietary music generation model with OpenAI’s ChatGPT
for lyric writing, creating an all-in-one tool for aspiring musicians, content
creators, and even professionals. With this innovation, Suno wasn’t just
another music app it was changing who could make music and how fast music could
evolve.
Explosive Growth and Funding Success
By mid-2024, Suno had reached over 12 million users. Its popularity fueled a
$125 million Series B funding round in July 2024, valuing the company at $500
million. This came after years of exponential growth, with search interest
climbing 6,200% in just five years and monthly traffic hitting 70.2 million
visits (18.6 million unique). These milestones cemented Suno’s place as one of
the most promising AI startups in the music space.
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Shaping the Future of Music
Suno’s mission extends far beyond convenience—it’s about reimagining music as a
more central and interactive part of everyday life. The team envisions a future
where music creation is more social, where users can collaborate, discover new
sounds, and experiment with genres that never existed before. In doing so, Suno
is expanding the definition of music and making it a cultural force accessible
to billions.
The Road Ahead
Looking toward 2025 and 2026, Suno has an ambitious roadmap. The company is
building new “power tools” to give users greater control over their creative
process and designing new social experiences to make music more engaging. They
are also focusing on their next big challenge: scaling to the next 100 million
users. Every step forward brings them closer to their vision of making music
the most culturally relevant form of media.
Lessons in Leadership
For Shulman, one of the biggest lessons in scaling Suno has been the importance
of people. He believes that everything—from product speed to company
culture—flows from the team you build. His focus on collaboration, energy, and
shared goals has helped steer Suno through rapid growth while keeping the
mission alive: making music more valuable, more accessible, and more fun.
Timeline of Suno’s Journey
- 2005–2009:
Shulman studies Applied Physics at Columbia University.
- 2009–2015:
Completes Ph.D. in Physics at Harvard University.
- 2015–2018:
Works at Kensho Technologies as the first ML engineer and later head of
machine learning.
- 2018:
Becomes a lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management.
- 2021:
Begins working on the idea of Suno with co-founders.
- 2022:
Suno officially founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 2023:
Gains strong traction as an AI music creation tool.
- July
2024: Raises $125 million in Series B at $500 million valuation,
surpasses 12 million users.
- 2025–2026:
Focused on scaling to 100 million users and launching new creative tools.
