Yamaha launches $50m fund to back music and media startups in Silicon Valley

Yamaha, a Japanese multinational musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer, has launched $50 million Yamaha Music Innovations Fund 1 (YMIF), to back music and media startups in Silicon Valley.

To strengthen its leadership position as an innovator in the fields of sound and music, Yamaha established a business development base (representative office) named Yamaha Music Innovations (YMI) in Silicon Valley in April 2024. YMI was incorporated in January 2025 and has accelerated initiatives to develop new businesses through partnerships with fast-growing startups and established companies.

To lead its new venture capital fund, YMIF has appointed Andrew Kahn as Managing Partner. Kahn has been a force for investing in innovative companies in the field of music technology, being named one of ''Music’s Top Investors in Tech of The Future'' by U.S. music industry magazine Billboard in 2023 along with being recognized by other publications such as Business Insider for his efforts. He was previously working as Partner at Crush Ventures. Additionally, he has extensive experience in startup operations, investment and business development at the intersection of music, interactive media, and the creator economy. Now, he will use his experience and relationships to establish YMIF as a key partner and value-add investor for the startup community, where Yamaha can leverage its strengths in sound, music and a century of work supporting creative people.

On his appointment, Kahn released a statement on LinkedIn and said: ''I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Yamaha Music Innovations as Managing Partner of the newly launched Yamaha Music Innovation Fund - a venture fund backed by Yamaha Corporation to invest in the future of creativity, culture, and technology. My time at CRUSH MUSIC (Crush Ventures) was transformative - full of creativity, collaboration, and bold ideas. I got to work with incredible teammates (who literally engineer pop culture daily), major global artists, corporate partners and LPs, deeply thoughtful co-investors, and inspiring founders, many of whom I will continue to support. The dynamic at Crush kept me energized for six years through the birth of two children, a pandemic, and any number of life’s challenges. It also prepared me for my next chapter…Yamaha Corporation has an unparalleled legacy in sound, performance, and innovation. The brand has been empowering creativity on a global scale for over a century; its instruments, audio equipment and software have shaped the way generations have created and experienced music. With this fund, we’ll be backing early-stage, visionary founders at the intersection of culture, creativity, and technology - from next-gen creative tools and AI to interactive media, immersive music experiences, learning platforms, and new models for collaboration and creator empowerment.''

Through YMIF, Yamaha will strive to create and invest in innovative businesses that will enhance its role in the lives of creative people while accelerating business development collaborations with startups that have been underway since April 2024.

Yusuke “Scott” Sugino, President and CEO, Yamaha Music Innovations: ''Since establishing our base in Silicon Valley in April 2024, we have collaborated with six startups by leveraging our group’s assets as the leading comprehensive musical instrument manufacturer with the No.1 market share. Through our investment activities via YMIF and business collaborations utilizing our assets, we are bringing our mechanisms for creating new value and new businesses to the next stage. Simultaneously, through the dual approach of investment and collaboration, we aim to foster the development of the music entertainment industry in a manner distinctive of Yamaha, support the growth of startups, and realize our mission, ''The Well-being of People around the World.'''

www.yamaha.com

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