African startups are invited to apply for the second edition of Yamaha’s TRANSPOSE Innovation Challenge, a Yamaha-backed programme that will see winning founders receive funding and support to build the future of sound and entertainment.
The Japanese music and audio giant is looking for startups that can help it reimagine how people experience music, live events and entertainment, with selected companies offered project funding, technical resources and mentorship to test, validate and scale their products.
The inaugural edition of the challenge last year attracted 314 applications from startups across 63 countries.
This year’s edition is structured around four challenge tracks. The Venue track seeks solutions that elevate live events, sports and concerts through immersive technology, visuals and crowd interaction, while the Senior track focuses on harnessing music and entertainment to support active ageing, cognitive health and intergenerational connection.
The Game track is looking for startups combining gaming mechanics, audio and intellectual property (IP) to add playfulness to everyday life, while the Timeless track targets solutions that turn temporary live entertainment experiences into lasting digital or physical assets.
Successful startups will have the opportunity to co-create with Yamaha using its proprietary technologies, domain expertise and assets, and will also gain access to exclusive fundraising discussions with the company’s corporate venture capital (CVC) team.
The Grand Prix Award winner will receive up to JPY5 million (US$32,000) in proof-of-concept (PoC) funding, as well as the chance to collaborate with Yamaha and its partners. The Yamaha Award comes with up to JPY2 million (US$13,000) in PoC funding and a collaboration with Yamaha, while the YMI Fund Award offers direct fundraising discussions with members of the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund.
Applications are open here until October 31.