Startale has raised $63 million in a funding round backed by two major Japanese companies. Sony Innovation Fund provided the first $13 million, and SBI Group followed with another $50 million. The new capital adds momentum to Startale’s push into blockchain-based tokenization, stablecoin settlement, and consumer-facing applications in Japan.
SBI and Sony expand an existing blockchain partnership
SBI Group, one of Japan’s largest financial conglomerates, serves more than 80 million clients across the region. Sony brings global scale through its entertainment and technology businesses. The two companies had already worked together on Soneium, an Ethereum-based Layer 2 network. Startale also launched Strium, a Layer 1 blockchain focused on tokenization, designed to support on-chain trading of securities and real-world assets.
On the stablecoin side, Startale’s yen-backed JPYSC has emerged as one of Japan’s early bank-supported digital yen products. The company also introduced USDSC, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin aimed at both retail and institutional users, giving them a way to convert fiat into crypto assets while accessing on-chain dividends and yield opportunities.
Funding targets a SuperApp built on Soneium
The investment from Sony Innovation Fund is described as an extension of the companies’ technical partnership. It is intended to help turn Startale’s Soneium application into a “SuperApp.” The plan is to combine tokenized assets, stablecoin transactions, payments, mini-apps, and social functions inside a single platform.
Startale CEO Sota Watanabe said the backing shows strong confidence from partners in the company’s current vision. He also said that, with SBI involved, tokenization of Japanese stocks and the use of yen stablecoins will accelerate in Japan this year.
Infrastructure focus aligns with Japan’s regulatory direction
Startale is concentrating on the infrastructure layer rather than following the path of many DeFi projects that center on end-user applications. Its stated focus is large-scale tokenization and stablecoin settlement for institutional clients. With access to SBI’s customer base, Startale’s Strium network and JPYSC stablecoin gain a clear distribution edge in Japan. Through Soneium, developed with Sony, those products may also reach consumers outside the domestic market.
The source also points to Japan’s relatively clear regulatory framework for digital assets and stablecoins. In that setting, Startale’s latest raise signals continued corporate interest in compliant on-chain financial infrastructure.