Startale Group Closes $63M Series A Backed by SBI Group and Sony Innovation Fund

TLDR:

• Startale Group raised $63M in Series A funding, with SBI Group contributing $50M to the round.
• Sony Innovation Fund led the $13M first close in January 2026, linking entertainment to blockchain growth.
• Startale and SBI co-developed JPYSC, the first trust bank-backed Japanese yen stablecoin, in 2025.
• The Startale SuperApp will offer tokenized assets, stablecoins, and onchain tools in one platform.

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Startale Group has completed a $63 million Series A funding round, drawing major backing from two of Japan’s most recognized corporate names.

The round includes a $50 million investment from SBI Group and a $13 million first close from Sony Innovation Fund in January 2026.

The capital will go toward building onchain infrastructure covering Ethereum Layer 2 networks, stablecoin issuance, and tokenized securities across Asia and beyond.

SBI Group Deepens Its Commitment to Onchain Finance

SBI Group’s $50 million contribution marks a major step in its ongoing partnership with Startale. The two companies had already collaborated on Strium, a Layer 1 blockchain built for tokenized securities and RWA trading.

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

SBI Group Chairman Yoshitaka Kitao spoke directly about the investment’s direction. “Startale Group possesses extensive expertise in the field of on-chain integration and offers capabilities that complement those of the SBI Group,” Kitao said. He added that the partnership is expected to drive a vertical integration strategy across digital finance.

CEO Sota Watanabe also weighed in on what the round represents. “The close of our $63M Series A reflects the strong conviction our partners have in the vision we are building,” Watanabe said. He further noted that tokenized Japanese equities and JPY stablecoin adoption will be a core focus this year.

With this funding in place, Startale will now scale Strium further and expand JPYSC alongside USDSC. These stablecoins are designed to support fiat-to-crypto integration and enable onchain dividends and yield distribution for retail and institutional users alike.

Consumer and Institutional Layers Come Together Through the Startale App

Beyond institutional finance, Startale is also building out its consumer-facing product. The Startale App is being developed into a SuperApp that will run on Soneium, Sony’s blockchain ecosystem. It will offer users one-stop access to tokenized assets, stablecoins, and onchain experiences.

The app will combine asset management, Mini Apps, payments, and social features into a single interface. The goal is to remove complexity from blockchain interactions for everyday users. This positions Startale to serve both retail consumers and large financial institutions from the same platform.

Sony Innovation Fund’s involvement adds an entertainment and consumer dimension to Startale’s strategy. This pairing with SBI’s financial reach creates a broad foundation across two high-growth sectors. Together, the two partnerships cover both ends of the onchain adoption curve.

Startale plans to use the funding to grow its team, extend its infrastructure stack, and deepen adoption across Asia. The company sees vertical integration — from blockchain rails to consumer apps — as the key to long-term growth in the onchain economy.

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