Established in 1929 as Akai Electric Company Ltd in Tokyo by Masukichi Akai and son Saburo Akai, initially manufacturing radio components. Best known for tape recorders in the 1960s-70s and innovations in magnetic tape technology. The music division Akai Professional was founded around 1980, entering electronic music in 1984. Main company went bankrupt in 2000, brand now owned by Hong Kong's Grande Holdings for consumer electronics. Akai Professional became separate business in 1999, acquired by inMusic Brands in 2005, specializing in music production equipment (MPC samplers, controllers).