The Yamaha Music Innovations Fund will invest in new technologies in the music business.
The Japanese maker of musical instruments and audio equipment plans to form a corporate venturing unit in Silicon Valley in April 2025 to invest in sound and music tech startups.
The $50m Yamaha Music Innovations Fund will invest $800,000 in startups focused on innovations in musical instruments and audio equipment. These include AI for video and music production, and streaming and monetisation support for creators.
The investment unit will be headed by Yusuke Sugino, who has worked at Yamaha Corporation since 2008 in various roles including business development and corporate strategy.
Yamaha already has a CVC unit for its motorcycle division, Yamaha Motor. That venture unit, Yamaha Motor Ventures, is also based in California, US.
