Ex-Spotify Executive Raises $5.5M for A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya Startup
· Technology · TechCrunch
A Vinly Bar in Shibuya, a music startup founded by former Spotify head of innovation Máuhan M Zonoozy, has raised $5.5 million in a pre-seed funding round. The round was backed by investors including Mantis VC, SV Angel, Boxgroup, Quiet Capital, and former Spotify chief content and advertising business officer Dawn Ostroff, who also joined as an advisor. The company is developing a series of small, interactive web and mobile apps that allow users to play with sounds, stems, and filters without relying on generative AI prompts. Current products include the Chrome extension Speed Surfer, the audio username generator Usersound, the stem player Stacks, and an iOS app named bop. Zonoozy left Spotify in 2024 to launch the company, aiming to create cultural tools for younger audiences who interact with media through games and filters. The startup is currently working on a multiplayer version to let users collaboratively remix songs.
Why it matters
This funding provides capital for a non-AI approach to consumer music creation, offering alternative tools for users and artists in the digital audio space.
Read the original report — TechCrunch
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