Kahuna raises seed to finance independent artists with AI

What's the deal? Kahuna, a London-based music-fintech platform, has added Yapay Zeka Fabrikası to its ongoing seed round. The startup uses AI and data to discover, finance, and grow independent artists.

What's the endgame? Kahuna gives independent and mid-sized artists fast access to financing based on their streaming revenue, while combining distribution, revenue management, and growth in one platform. Its AI underwriting analyses past streaming performance to forecast future income and generate funding offers.

Eligible artists can receive an offer within 24 hours — and keep ownership of their music, borrowing against future royalties. Kahuna pulls data from more than 50 digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple MusicDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, YouTube, and TikTok.

Why now? Founded in 2024 by Barış Can Aktepe, Barın Özmen, and Gülce Sinem Aktepe Levent, Kahuna served more than 4,000 artists and 19,000 songs as of August 2026. The company plans to use the investment to accelerate growth in the UK and US markets while developing its infrastructure globally.

Chief executive officer Barış Can Aktepe said Kahuna combines AI-based scouting and origination with underwriting models that make funding decisions "veriye dayalı" — data-driven — and builds "keşiften finansmana ve sonrasında performans takibine kadar uçtan uca, ölçeklenebilir bir sistem."

The signal: Can Bakır, chief executive officer of Yapay Zeka Fabrikası, said capital access in the creative economy has long revolved around major labels and a few financing players, leaving independent artists "çoğunlukla dışında." He framed Kahuna's model as "bir finansman aracından öte, veriye dayalı bir karar sistemi" — pointing to a wider bet that AI can rebuild sectors traditionally overlooked by investors.

Image credit: Generated with Gemini

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