Blackstar Amplification
Guitar amplifiers and effects units for musicians.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor investor | €0.0 | round |
| investor investor investor investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
£200k | Grant | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
| GBP | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| % growth | 4 % | 7 % | (9 %) | 28 % | 16 % | (21 %) | 22 % |
| EBITDA | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| % EBITDA margin | 4 % | 8 % | 10 % | 13 % | 14 % | - | - |
| Profit | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| % profit margin | - | 5 % | 4 % | 9 % | 11 % | 8 % | 9 % |
| EV | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
| EV / revenue | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x | 00.0x |
| R&D budget | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 | 0000 |
Source: Company filings or news article
Blackstar Amplification is a British manufacturer of guitar amplifiers and effects pedals, established in Northampton, England, in 2007. The company was founded by four former Marshall employees and bandmates—Ian Robinson, Bruce Keir, Paul Hayhoe, and Richard Frost—who collectively possessed over 50 years of experience in amplifier design. After two and a half years of intensive research and development that started in a garden shed, the company officially launched at the Frankfurt Musik Messe in March 2007. The founders' shared ambition was to engineer amplifiers that provided enhanced flexibility and new tonal options for musicians.
The company's business model revolves around the design, manufacturing, and global distribution of its products through a worldwide network of dealers, catering to a wide range of musicians from beginners to professional artists. Their product lineup is extensive, including valve, digital, and acoustic amplifiers, as well as a variety of effects pedals. Notable product lines include the professional all-valve Series One, the versatile HT Venue series, the digital programmable ID:Core series, and the compact, battery-powered FLY 3. Blackstar also produces effects pedals for boost, overdrive, and distortion, many incorporating valve technology.
Central to Blackstar's product identity are its patented technologies. The Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) is a signature control that allows players to continuously adjust the tonal character between classic American and British amplifier voicings. Other key innovations include Dynamic Power Reduction (DPR), which emulates the feel of a fully driven valve amp at lower volumes, and True Valve Power (TVP), which replicates the response of different power amp tubes. The company has also introduced modern features like USB and XLR outputs for direct recording and software integration with their Architect app for advanced sound customization. This focus on combining traditional engineering with modern needs has earned them endorsements from world-renowned artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Neal Schon, and Phil Collen.
Keywords: guitar amplifiers, effects pedals, valve amps, digital amplifiers, acoustic amps, Infinite Shape Feature, ISF, Dynamic Power Reduction, DPR, True Valve Power, TVP, amp modeling, guitar tone, Northampton, Ian Robinson, Bruce Keir, Series One, HT Venue, ID:Core, FLY 3, Celestion speakers, professional audio, musical instruments