SURF Music raises $7.9M Series A to scale its global marketplace for creators
What's the deal? SURF MusicDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Tokyo-based digital marketplace connecting music creators with buyers such as labels and publishers, has raised $7.9 million (about ¥1.2 billion) in a Series A round. Global venture capital firm Cherubic VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → joined as a strategic investor, alongside YG PLUSDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Enigmo, agehaspringsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Hip Land Music CorporationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Rainbow EntertainmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What's the endgame? Founded in 2019, SURF Music lets creators register unreleased tracks and pitch them to record companies, publishers, A&R teams, and entertainment firms worldwide. It returns 100% of transaction revenue to creators. The company plans to use the funding to accelerate product development and international expansion.
Why now? Since its 2023 global launch, SURF Music has grown to more than 40,000 creators across 195 countries and regions, with over 300 song placements to date. Cherubic Ventures brings networks across Silicon Valley, Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia to support that push.
What's Cherubic's read? "Demand for music content is rising rapidly," said founder and managing partner Matt Cheng, citing streaming, social media, gaming, video, advertising, and AI services. He praised SURF for tying "technology to real business and creator opportunities," pointing to its AI search and recommendation tools and a Guinness World Record remix campaign.
Who's backing it? Cherubic Ventures, founded in 2015 and based in Taipei, has invested in more than 200 startups, including Paidy, Ring, Flexport, CalmDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Hims & Hers, and Astranis. Its Japanese and music-industry co-investors give SURF added reach across labels, publishers, and technology firms.
The signal: At $7.9 million, the round sits in the top 10% of all Series A deals in Japan by amount, based on 2,040 comparable rounds. That places a well-capitalised bet on music tech at a moment when AI is reshaping how songs and talent are discovered and monetised.
Image credit: SURF Music
