Key Highlights
- SBI Group invested $50 million in Startale, bringing the company’s total Series A funding to $63 million.
- Startale said the capital will help scale Strium, its tokenized securities blockchain, along with JPY and USD stablecoin products.
- The raise extends a broader partnership between SBI and Startale across tokenized assets, stablecoins, and digital settlement infrastructure.
Startale Group said on Wednesday that SBI Group had invested $50 million in the company, completing its Series A round at $63 million as the Japanese blockchain firm pushes deeper into tokenized securities, stablecoins, and consumer-facing onchain products. The new funding follows a $13 million first close from Sony Innovation Fund announced in January.
According to an official announcement, the new capital will be used to scale products already in motion across its stack, including Strium, a layer-1 network built for tokenized securities and real-world asset trading, its JPY- and USD-denominated stablecoin initiatives, and its Startale App, which is designed to bring users into onchain financial services.
In a statement, Startale Group CEO Sota Watanabe said the company plans to accelerate the adoption of tokenized stocks focused on Japanese equities alongside its yen stablecoin efforts this year. The raise also adds more institutional weight to Startale’s bet that Japan can become a meaningful base for regulated onchain finance infrastructure.
New capital backs products already underway
The investment comes as Startale and SBI move from partnership announcements into live product development.
On February 5, the two companies unveiled Strium, which they described as a blockchain platform aimed at building exchange-layer infrastructure for tokenized securities and onchain RWAs in Asia. Startale said the network is designed to support trading and settlement for tokenized equities and other real-world asset-linked products, including 24/7 spot and derivatives markets.
The company has also been advancing its stablecoin strategy. On February 27, Startale and SBI introduced JPYSC, which they described as the first trust bank-backed JPY stablecoin, with launch still targeted for Q2 2026 pending regulatory approvals. Startale said Shinsei Trust & Banking would issue the stablecoin, while SBI VC Trade would serve as the main distribution partner.
Alongside that, Startale has been building a broader consumer layer around Startale App and Startale USD, part of what it calls a vertically integrated model spanning infrastructure, settlement, and end-user access. Its January Series A first close from Sony Innovation Fund was framed around expanding that broader onchain product ecosystem.
SBI and Startale deepen Japan onchain finance ties
The latest funding builds on a relationship that has widened steadily over the past year.
In August 2025, SBI and Startale announced plans to work together on an all-in-one onchain trading platform for tokenized stocks and RWAs. The partnership later expanded into a December memorandum of understanding to develop a regulated yen stablecoin for global settlement and tokenized asset markets. Under this plan, Startale would lead the technology build while SBI entities would handle issuance, redemption, compliance, and circulation.
The progression matters because it shows SBI is not only partnering with Startale on product rollouts, but now also backing the company directly with growth capital as those products move toward market. For Startale, the Series A close gives it a larger balance sheet to scale infrastructure that sits across tokenized securities trading, stablecoin settlement, and consumer distribution in Japan’s regulated digital asset market.
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