Yamaha acquires Disguise

Japanese audio and musical instrument giant Yamaha Corporation has acquired London-based virtual production specialist Disguise.

Yamaha will acquire all shares from global investment firm Carlylerectly holds all issued shares of Disguise Technologies Limited

Yamaha has said that the Disguise brand will be preserved and will exist alongside its existing business. Customers and partners will continue to work with the same Disguise teams.

Disguise’s technology has powered some of the world’s biggest live experiences, from tours by Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunny, to venues like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Stade de France in Paris, winning two Emmy Awards and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation over the past decade.

Atsushi Yamaura, President and Representative Executive Officer, Yamaha Corporation, said: “People are seeking richer and more immersive experiences from live entertainment. Audio, video, lighting, and media come together across an entire space to create experiences that move people. Disguise has earned the trust of artists and creators around the world with a platform that enables such experiences. Welcoming Disguise marks a major step for Yamaha as we move beyond the traditional boundaries of musical instruments and audio equipment to create new experiential value centred on sound and music. As part of our long-term growth strategy, we are expanding our audio business into adjacent areas, including entertainment. We will combine the strengths of Disguise and Yamaha while respecting the brand, technology, and global relationships Disguise has built with customers and partners. Together, we will make new waves in live entertainment.”

Fernando Küfer, CEO, Disguise, said: “From our first conversations, it was clear Yamaha understood what makes Disguise special: Our people, our customers, and our pace of innovation. Yamaha shares our ambition and is committed to investing in our people, platform, and partners. For our customers, that means more ways to create, more support, and a partner investing in where live and immersive entertainment go next. I couldn’t be prouder of our team and excited for what we will build together.”

Over the past decade under Küfer’s leadership, Disguise has grown from a media server specialist for concert touring to a global visual entertainment platform, spanning software, hardware, and creative and technical services. Its work ranges from films such as Project Hail Mary and Top Gun: Maverick, to Netflix House, The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) in Washington DC, Broadway and West End productions including Disney’s Hercules, and venues such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The acquisition is central to Yamaha’s strategy to grow beyond musical instruments and audio equipment into experiences across entire spaces, building on its strengths in sound and music.

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