COMPANY

Digital Daruma was established in 2010 to both invest in, and to advise music artists, companies and organizations.  

Our mission is to make the new music business economy work for the artistic community and not against it, by focusing on overlapping objectives:

• direct investment in select artists, artist projects and music copyrights.
• funding companies that focus on current and future opportunities to enhance artists’ work in the digital media world.
• invest in and advise select digital music related startups with the potential for long-term relevance and success.
• support select programs that promote music education and music artists.

We invest in select artists and music copyright assets. We also selectively seek out opportunities to invest in digital music startups as a private investor and actively engage in select companies as an executive.  Digital Daruma President, Ken Umezaki, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Verifi Media. We also advise a variety of music related companies, academic programs and foundations

​​​Ken Umezaki
Verifi Media, CEO

​Ken is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Verifi Media, a company focused on modernizing how media data is shared and dynamically managed across all parties in the media value chain, with an emphasis on music data. Verifi believes that moving copyrighted media at “the speed of digital” will spark new revenue streams, information transparency, and efficiencies that will form the foundation for a more sustainable and diverse global creative economy.

Ken is also an independent investor and business advisor for music startups and artists, through his company Digital Daruma, with a specific focus on artist facing music and media service companies. Digital Daruma has invested in numerous promising music startups over the decade.  Digital Daruma has also made select direct investments in music artists and songs. 

His past experience includes 25 years in financial services trading, asset management and senior management positions. Lastly, he is involved in a number of music foundations and academic organizations, including serving on the board of Little Kids Rock, as well as advisory board position for programs at New York University and Berklee College of Music.
 

Verifi Media
76 Madison Avenue PH1
New York, NY 10016
646-509-6861
[email protected]

Twitter: @vfimedia
LinkedIn: verifimedia
Facebook: @verifimedia

Read: Starter Story Interview

Listen To: Podcast Interview

Listen To: Recent Keynote

Daruma: 達磨

The Daruma (達磨) is a hollow, round, Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. The Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. Traditionally one eye is filled in when you establish a goal, and the other is filled in when you have achieved that goal.  It is a perfect representation of the company's goals, philosophy and the mission of the digital music business overall during this transformation.