Name: MTUK+SXSW London Day 2: Global Perspectives
Start: 2026-06-03T10:00:00.000+01:00
End: 2026-06-03T16:00:00.000+01:00
Location: London, United Kingdom

MTUK Calendar

 will serve as the official hub for music tech activity during SXSW London, a two-day programme of events at the 

House of Music and Entertainment (H.O.M.E)

, Shoreditch. The events are expected to draw together music tech founders, investors, policymakers, and international industry leaders. Day 1 is focused on innovation and investment. Day 2, co-hosted with Music Tech Europe, is dedicated to international collaboration and cross-border opportunity.

Wednesday, 3 June - Global Perspectives Day

11:00 - 11:40 Yoto: From Kickstarter to Global

Few founders in the UK have built a hardware business from a soldering iron and a Kickstarter to £100 million+ in revenue and done it sustainably. In this fireside chat, Yoto CEO Ben Drury joins Simon Scott of ATC Music Group to trace the journey from a moment of realisation about hands-on, child-led learning to a globally shipped product in over 200 countries: what it actually takes to build a hardware business, how to crack international markets without losing the plot, and why patient capital beats fast money when your product ships in a box.

11:40-12:30 How to Build an International Music Tech Business

Building a music tech business that works beyond its home market requires more than a great product. This panel examines what international expansion actually looks like in practice - from when to make the move, how to navigate different regulatory and licensing environments, and where to find the capital and partnerships that make it viable.

The Startup Showcase gives music tech founders from around the world seven minutes to demonstrate what they're building - followed by live Q&A from an expert panel. Fast-paced and product-focused, it offers a live cross-section of what the global music tech ecosystem is building right now - from early-stage tools to companies already operating at scale.

, Investor, Best Nights VC (Expert Panelist)

, Innovation Project Manager, Centre National de la Musique (Expert Panelist)

, Founder / Sales & Partnerships, AndR (Startup Founder)

, CEO & Founder, HAT Music (Startup Founder)

, Director/Founder, Cactus Innovation (Startup Founder)

15:00 - 15:45 The Japan Playbook: Inside the World’s Second Largest Music Market

Japan is the world's second largest recorded music market, yet it remains one of the least understood from a Western perspective. In this fireside chat Takayuki Suzuki of Music Tech Japan and Tom Grayson of Music Foundry will map the revenue landscape across DSPs, physical, touring, merchandise, commercial endorsements, and the super fan infrastructure that Japanese artists have built into a science. This market is changing fast and the elements are there for large scale international expansion.

From there the conversation goes deeper into specific opportunities for music tech players in the Japanese market, articulating clear business cases and how to access them. Finally, the session focuses on how overseas actors can work with Japanese content owners and talent to grow their international business.  Japanese music does export but the execution needs to be right.  The session explores examples of what works and how to get involved.

This market is large and evolving fast.  This session will help music industry entrepreneurs grasp the opportunity.