Startale Group Secures $13M From Sony, Deepens Soneium Partnership

Startale Group receives a $13 million follow‑on investment from Sony Innovation Fund to expand onchain entertainment infrastructure.

Startale Group announces a $13 million additional investment from Sony Innovation Fund at the first close of its Series A in Tokyo on Jan. 29, 2026, deepening a partnership that began in September 2023 and supports joint work via Sony Block Solutions Labs and the Soneium Ethereum Layer 2. The funding underscores Sony’s confidence in Startale’s vertically integrated approach across infrastructure, IP and AI, and follows Soneium’s January 2025 mainnet growth to over 500 million processed transactions, 5.4 million active wallets and 250+ live dApps.

This matters because the investment accelerates development of entertainment‑native on‑chain infrastructure—backing Startale’s Startale App, Startale USD (USDSC) settlement layer and creator‑centric IP models—and signals strategic industry support from Sony for global scale deployment; Startale CEO Sota Watanabe says Sony’s continued support “strengthens our ability to deliver the infrastructure required to realize that vision.” Further collaboration will advance pilots and ecosystem expansion through the Soneium joint venture, subject to applicable jurisdictional considerations.

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🧭 FAQs

• Who invested in Startale Group? Sony Innovation Fund provided an additional $13 million at the Series A first close.
• When and where was the investment announced? The announcement was made in Tokyo on Jan. 29, 2026.
• What metrics highlight Soneium’s growth locally? Soneium reports 500 million transactions, 5.4 million active wallets and 250+ live dApps.
• How will the funds be used in Japan and globally? The financing deepens the Sony‑Startale partnership to expand onchain entertainment infrastructure, apps and settlement layers.