Startale Group Closes $63 Million Series A with Investment from SBI Group and Sony Innovation Fund

With $50M from SBI Group and $13M from Sony Innovation Fund, Startale Group closes a $63M Series A to accelerate onchain infrastructure for finance, entertainment, and real-world asset adoption

Startale Group today announced the second close of its Series A round, securing $50 million from SBI Group, Inc. ("SBI Group"). Combined with the first close of $13 million from Sony Innovation Fund announced in January 2026, Startale has completed a $63 million Series A round.

The round brings together two of Startale's most significant strategic partners and reflects the growing momentum behind the company's vertically integrated approach to blockchain infrastructure, spanning across Ethereum Layer 2 networks, JPY stablecoin issuance, tokenized securities, and consumer applications.

Deepening the alliance with SBI Group

SBI Group' $50 million investment builds on a partnership that has already showcased Strium, a Layer 1 blockchain designed for tokenized securities and RWA trading, and JPYSC, the first trust bank-backed JPY stablecoin, co-developed through the strategic joint venture announced in August 2025.

The investment underscores SBI Group's continued confidence in Startale's ability to deliver institutional-grade financial products onchain at scale, transforming how banking, securities and financial services will operate in the new digital era. This funding will empower Startale to create transformative solutions that not only serve SBI’s 80+ million customers but also capture opportunities across the broader financial market.

"The close of our $63M Series A reflects the strong conviction our partners have in the vision we are building," said Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Group. "Through the deep collaboration with SBI, we will accelerate the adoption of tokenised stocks, centered on Japanese equities and JPY stablecoin, this year. "

"Startale Group possesses extensive expertise in the field of on-chain integration and offers capabilities that complement those of the SBI Group," said Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman & President of SBI Group. "By joining the SBI Group's digital space ecosystem through this investment, I am confident that we can accelerate the on-chain transformation of society and demonstrate a strong competitive advantage by driving a vertical integration strategy in the digital finance sector. "

Powering the Convergence of Finance, Entertainment, and the Onchain Economy

The completed Series A round positions Startale at the forefront of two transformative trends: the institutional adoption of onchain financial infrastructure through SBI and the synergy of entertainment and blockchain through its partnership with Sony.

With SBI's $50 million second close, the company is accelerating Strium, JPYSC, and USDSC, building the settlement and exchange layers for Asia's onchain capital markets.

In addition, Startale’s SuperApp (Startale App) will enable a new wave of consumer engagement on Soneium, delivering one-stop seamless access to tokenized assets, stablecoins, and onchain experiences for millions of users. By operating across both institutional and consumer layers, Startale is uniquely positioned to accelerate onchain adoption across Asia and create transformative solutions for a broader global market.

Looking Ahead

With the close of its $63M Series A, Startale is set to accelerate its vision of vertical integration strategy by delivering a comprehensive stack that unites blockchain infrastructure, ecosystems and consumer applications. The capital will enable the company to:

  • Scale Strium, to power institutional tokenized securities and RWA trading, creating the settlement and exchange framework for Asia’s onchain capital markets.
  • Expand adoption of JPYSC and USDSC stablecoins, providing seamless fiat-to-crypto integration and added functionalities for onchain dividends and yield distribution for retail, enterprise and institutional users.
  • Elevate the Startale App into a SuperApp, combining asset management, Mini Apps, payments and social features into a single, intuitive interface that abstracts blockchain complexity.

About SBI Group

SBI Group is one of Japan's leading comprehensive financial groups, operating across Financial Services, PE Investment, Asset Management, Crypto-assets, and Next Gen businesses. Since its establishment in 1999, the SBI Group has built an internet-based financial ecosystem spanning securities, banking, and insurance, and continues to expand its global business through innovation and strategic investment. https://www.sbigroup.co.jp/english/