Japanese electronics company The Roland Corporation, best known for its iconic synthesizer the TR-808, and headphone company V-Moda have announced a new strategic partnership in honor of 808 day. Roland will take a 70 percent stake in V-Moda, becoming the majority stakeholder in the company.
The companies want to emphasize that this is not a simple purchase of one company by another. V-Moda CEO Val Kolton will retain the remaining 30 percent ownership of the headphone brand. He will remain CEO and he will become a consultant in product design for the dance, DJ and electronic music division at Roland. The companies will still operate as separate entities.
"This partnership is not strictly a business deal; it's a strategic synergy that will bridge the high-quality sound, materials and design of our products with the legendary genre-changing sound expertise and commitment to excellence from Roland," says Kolton. "Roland's 808, 909, the contribution to the development of MIDI protocol and countless products helped to lay the foundation and forge today's music, and together we can carry on the tradition."
The acquisition will give V-Moda additional resources to push their product development including Roland engineers and cash. V-Moda is known for taking a long time to bring products to market, part of their relentless pursuit of making the perfect sounding headphone that also looks great. This move should be able to help the company move things a little faster.
"We're pleased V-MODA has joined the Roland family of brands. V-MODA revolutionized headphones and has pushed the envelope of personalization," said Mr. Jun-ichi Miki, CEO of Roland. "Their Milano design, material research and professional DJ roots along with their loyal customers are incredible assets for Roland.
The exact financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. V-Moda has launched a new website to honor the announcement and 808 day.
