Ciari Guitars

Debuted on the Ascender™, our premium electric model, our guitar startup's impressive engineering allows professional grade guitars to fold into a compact size, finally making the world’s most popular instrument impossibly portable. Future plans include mid-tier electric guitars, carbon fiber acoustic guitars, and even short-scale bass guitars—and we're turning to investors to raise $1M to scale our growth exponentially.

"It's in tune?!"

Before we go further, one of our favorite things is sharing guitarists unfolding the Ascender for the very first time. You might have the same reaction as Kelly Slater. We recommend you expand to watch full screen.

Incredible, right? Now, let's go back to where we started and where we're going:

Our journey of music-tech disruption started in 2016, when we incorporated and began the development of our guitar innovation after our first US patent was issued. Since then, we've created the first-ever premium travel guitar — one that folds in half yet boasts pro-quality and unparalleled convenience for stress-free guitar mobility and storage.

Why invest, and why now?

Guitars have been around for 100 years and have always been the same size — large. We’re changing that with our patented folding technology, which enables our full-size, Nashville-crafted guitars to fold in half for impossibly portable backpack storage. All of the functionality, none of the inconvenience.

We've proven demand

We started with accelerators—putting the Ascender to the test at the globally renowned music-tech accelerator, Project Music in Nashville, Tennessee, and the San Diego Airport Innovation Lab. Leveraging these successes, we hit our 2020 targets with 40+ guitars sold and ~150K in revenue.

And... it doesn't hurt to be a patent attorney

A patent attorney with a passion for music? The perfect storm. At the heart of the Ascender is a feat of engineering, the patented folding mechanism. To protect this, we’ve covered the Ascender with multiple US and international patents and applications. You'll find us talking about this quite a bit, because according to Chris Graebe, our patent is one of the most attractive things about our potential. Our CEO is and IP Executive & Patent Attorney with deep experience including at USPTO, Leading IP Law Firm, and Chief IP Counsel for “Start-up to $1BB” Medical Device Co.

The word has gotten out about Ciari Guitars

We’ve been featured by Forbes, CNN, and USA Today; and we were honored to receive the coveted Editor’s Pick from Guitar Player Magazine. And all the buzz is paying off!

Now, let's hear the Ascender in action!

By the way, our Ciari Guitars Artist Showcase is 04/28 at 5pm with big names like Kelly Slater, the Revelries, and more. Click here to RSVP.

Our growth strategy

We’re taking a hybrid sales approach designed to help us scale rapidly, and we’re primed for success in retail via our deep industry relationships with some of the world’s top music retailers. Our strategy includes:

The market is ready, and guitar sales are surging

During the pandemic, guitar sales surged as people found comfort in learning or honing a skill and expressing themselves through music. Guitar Center's online sales more than doubled. Sweetwater's sales increased 40% (and surpassed $1B for the first time ever). Searches for acoustic guitars and acoustic guitar amps increased by 50%. With this surge, and the eventual return to mobility due to vaccines, Ciari Guitars is positioned to be the solution of choice for guitarists on the move in a global market of $2.79B.

While travel guitars are not new, none have combined the quality and convenience of the Ascender. As such, Ciari Guitars stands alone in the guitar industry with market-making innovation, ready to be THE leader in guitar mobility. Here’s how we compare: 

We're not stopping at the Ascender!

Innovating is how we got here, so we’re not stopping with our first iteration. Here’s a look at our upcoming pipeline: 

The Music Industry has a long history of acquisition, including majors like Fender, Yamaha, Gibson and newcomer music-tech powerhouse Bandlab. Between our strong IP and robust sales strategy, we project being well-positioned to exit within 3-5 years.

Exit Strategy: Expand product line, ramp sales, and explore acquisition in 3-5 years

Strong IP and adoption will help achieve attractive multiple on exit!

This is the right time to invest.

Music has never been more important and the guitar industry is hotter than it’s been in years. The number of guitarists surged during the pandemic, as did mobility in RVs, motorcycles, private jets, yachts/boats. Commercial air travel is returning, and will accelerate with the availability of Covid vaccines. People are ready to move again, and Ciari Guitars will be THE solution for guitar mobility - the right product at the right time - to capitalize on this unique opportunity.

Join us in bringing the beauty of the guitar everywhere.