Startale Closes $63M Series A With $50M From SBI Group

Startale Group closes a $63M Series A with $50M from SBI Group and $13M from Sony Innovation Fund to build onchain financial infrastructure.

Startale Group has closed a $63 million Series A funding round. The round combines a $50 million investment from SBI Group with $13 million from Sony Innovation Fund. 

The Sony-backed close came first, announced in January 2026. Together, the two closes mark a major milestone for the blockchain startup. 

Startale now has two of Asia’s most prominent corporate backers on its cap table.

Startale and SBI Group Deepen Onchain Finance Partnership

The SBI Group investment builds on an existing strategic relationship. 

The two companies had already unveiled Strium, a Layer 1 blockchain built for tokenized securities and real-world asset trading. 

They also co-developed JPYSC, described as the first trust bank-backed Japanese yen stablecoin, through a joint venture formed in August 2025.

SBI Group Chairman Yoshitaka Kitao pointed to Startale’s on-chain integration expertise as a key reason behind the investment. 

He noted that the partnership would push forward a vertical integration strategy in digital finance. SBI Group serves more than 80 million customers, giving Startale a substantial potential user base for its products.

Startale CEO Sota Watanabe said the funding reflects strong partner conviction in the company’s direction. 

He added that the team will focus on accelerating tokenized stock adoption, particularly around Japanese equities and the JPY stablecoin, within the year.

Read also: SBI Group Partners with Chainlink to Build Blockchain Tools in Asia

Building Stablecoins and Tokenized Assets at Scale

With the funding secured, Startale plans to scale several core products. 

Strium will serve as the settlement and exchange layer for institutional tokenized securities in Asia. Alongside it, the company will expand adoption of both JPYSC and USDSC stablecoins.

The stablecoins are designed to handle fiat-to-crypto integration for retail, enterprise, and institutional users. 

Startale also wants to add functionalities such as onchain dividends and yield distribution. These features target investors moving into tokenized financial products.

The broader goal is to build out Asia’s onchain capital markets infrastructure. Startale positions itself as a key player in connecting traditional finance with blockchain rails. 

The SBI Group backing adds institutional weight to that ambition.

Startale App Targets SuperApp Status on Soneium

Beyond infrastructure, Startale is developing a consumer-facing product called the Startale App. The company describes it as a SuperApp built on Soneium, Sony’s Ethereum Layer 2 network. 

Moreover, the app will combine asset management, payments, Mini Apps, and social features in one interface.

The goal is to simplify blockchain access for everyday users. 

Startale wants users to interact with tokenized assets and stablecoins without dealing with underlying technical complexity. One unified experience will connect Soneium, Strium, JPYSC, and USDSC.

The Sony Innovation Fund’s involvement adds an entertainment and consumer engagement angle to the company’s strategy. 

While SBI drives the institutional finance layer, Sony brings a consumer audience into the picture. Startale says this dual positioning sets it apart in the onchain ecosystem.

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