Which startup was founded by Daniel Ek?

Daniel Ek founded Spotify with Martin Lorentzon.

Ek and Lorentzon established Spotify in Stockholm in 2006, combining Ek’s software and startup experience with Lorentzon’s business background. The service was built around a simple proposition: make licensed music streaming more convenient and attractive than piracy. After years of negotiations with record companies, Spotify launched publicly in several European markets in 2008.

A common mix-up is treating Spotify as merely another music-download store. Its central model was on-demand streaming, with a free advertising-supported tier alongside paid subscriptions. SoundCloud, Pandora, and Tidal are also audio platforms, but they have different origins, catalogs, business models, or historical identities. Spotify’s founders are specifically Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.

Spotify’s freemium approach helped it scale internationally while giving rights holders a licensed alternative to unauthorized file sharing. Ek later became one of the best-known technology executives in Europe, while Spotify evolved from a Swedish startup into a global audio company offering music, podcasts, and other spoken-word content.