Michael Petychakis
CTO, Orfium
"We generally try to be a boring company. That is, to do the boring part so that the record companies can do what they do best: find the artist, produce the music and let the rest of us enjoy it."
Michael Petychakis is the Chief Technology Officer at Orfium and works together with leading record companies worldwide (Sony, Universal, Kobalt) aiming to ensure that artistic work is protected by copyright through artificial intelligence. Although Orfium’s headquarters is in Malibu, its software is entirely developed in Athens, where most of the company’s employees are based. Overall, Orfium has reached a total revenue of €10 million. Michalis discusses their decision to change their product after two years, and explains how this decision opened the door to success. He also discloses that Steve Jobs saved the music industry and explains how important it is for Orfium when human beings and technology complement each other.
Michael Petychakis: From the Humanoids in the desert at the oasis of the Music Industry
A Greek-American startup having its headquarters in Malibou and its R&D department in Athens ensures that creators of the music industry receive a fair proportion of streaming royalties while retaining copyright of their work in the wonderful new digital world. The startup is no other than Orfium, which has already been up and running for 6 years, and among its clients are leading music publishers and record companies, such as Warner, Sony and Universal.