Rock star Yoshiki and software giant Salesforce.com Inc. are backing cloud consulting firm Uhuru Corp. in its next fundraising round, according to a source familiar with the plans.
Tokyo-based Uhuru is planning to raise £15 million to £20 million (about ¥2.1 billion to ¥2.8 billion), the source said, asking not to be identified because the plans are confidential.
Salesforce, which currently holds 4.7 percent, and Yoshiki will be minority holders after the funding round, the source said.
Uhuru had planned to list on London's Alternative Investment Market last year but backed off after uncertainty over the U.K.'s plans to leave the European Union dampened interest in new issues.
The company specializes in "digital transformation," helping construct networks as well as offering data analytics, consulting and marketing services.
Yoshiki, a classical pianist and leader of the rock band X Japan, is friendly with Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff, who has tweeted clips of the two singing karaoke in Tokyo in April. Yoshiki, who's been performing for more than 30 years, has played at the Lollapalooza and Coachella music festivals and at Carnegie Hall in New York.
No final decisions have been made and the backers could still decide against investing. Representatives for Uhuru, Yoshiki and Salesforce declined to comment.
The company lists its main shareholders as including SoftBank Group Corp., Dentsu Group Inc., NEC Corp. and Salesforce on its website. It generated $35 million in revenue in 2018, according to the Financial Times.