BERKELEY, CA – November 20, 2012 – With last year’s most successful music technology campaign on Kickstarter already under their belt (DJ controller QuNeo), Keith McMillen Instruments (KMI) has announced their second act on the popular crowdfunding site.

With its latest product, called QuNexus, KMI is the first startup company to have successfully funded a second consumer product via Kickstarter.

“I think this sets a new level of maturity for Kickstarter,” said professional investor Steven Berger. “We’ve seen a lot of companies raise money and struggle to get a project completed, but this is the first time a startup company has had a successful repeat performance on Kickstarter. Investors are looking for companies with a depth of ideas and ability to bring products to market. While the one hit wonders are interesting, a company that can string hits together is even more interesting.”

KMI funded its QuNeo DJ pad controller in January 2011 with the most successful music technology Kickstarter project at the time, raising over $165,000. The company has since shipped QuNeo to its backers and has gone on to deliver thousands of units to music stores and artists worldwide.

In addition to earning serious accolades from the music industry, artists and insiders, 94 percent of QuNeo’s Kickstarter backers said they would participate in another KMI project.

Via a video post, Richie Hawtin, voted one of MixMag’s “Greatest DJs of All Time,” says, “I think QuNeo is one of the next big developments in music interfacing and having more control. I’m a little bit disappointed with established music instrument companies…they’re just kinda rehashing what they’ve been doing for 25 years.”

KMI products are in use by Lady GaGa’s and Jay Z’s bands, not to mention the thousands of young people who identify with the current DJ revolution.

KMI recently launched QuNexus on Kickstarter and reached its goal in six days. Still, the company is releasing project updates to grow the number of backers to a crescendo, as they did with the QuNeo campaign.

The QuNexus is a vividly illuminated keyboard that is both fun for beginners and a must have for modern musicians. Many players are saying QuNexus is faster and more expressive than any keyboard controller they’ve played, despite its small size and low cost.

“We’re a small company doing original and, I feel, important work in the nascent field of musician – computer interface. There is a gaping need for real instruments that enable musicians to control computers for better and more responsive music,” said KMI founder Keith McMillen. “As we release Kickstarter updates, we can immediately see how people react with their comments, questions and dollars. It’s a great way to raise money and market knowledge.”

About KMI
Founded in 2005, Keith McMillen Instruments (KMI) invents new technology products for today’s musicians and DJs. In addition to bringing the professional market to the consumer, KMI is known for product innovation, extreme expressiveness, portability, and superior aesthetics. The company makes the critically-acclaimed QuNeo, a new, visually stunning iPad-sized multi-touch DJ controller that replaces three pieces of music equipment and boasts a street price of just $199. KMI is headed by serial entrepreneur Keith McMillen, a technology and music visionary who led his software company, Octiv, to a successful acquisition by Plantronics (PLT). A respected and prolific inventor, McMillen’s track-record includes: the first programmable audio mixer (Akai MPX820), the gold standard for electric stringed instruments (Zeta Violin), and the world’s first Bluetooth sensor bow (K-Bow). The KMI product line is: QuNeo, SoftStep, 12 Step, StringPort, Batt-O-Meter, and soon, QuNexus, which is currently up on Kickstarter. The company is based in Berkeley, California, and is privately-held.