worldcoinindex.com
Sony Ventures has increased its commitment to blockchain developer Startale Group, allocating an additional $13 million through the Sony Innovation Fund as a follow-on investment that also marks the opening of Startale’s Series A round.
The Singapore-based firm, which co-develops Sony’s Ethereum Layer 2 network Soneium, had already raised $3.5 million in seed funding from Sony in 2023, followed by a $3.5 million extension in 2024 backed by UOB Venture Management and Samsung Next. With the latest injection, Startale’s total disclosed funding now stands at $20 million.
The new funding arrives shortly after the launch of the Startale App, a super-app jointly built with Sony Block Solutions Labs. The app is positioned as the main gateway into the Soneium ecosystem, offering users access to decentralized applications and services built on the network.
Soneium is built on Optimism’s OP Stack and targets both entertainment-focused use cases—such as fan engagement, intellectual property management, and AI-driven experiences—and broader financial applications. Its ecosystem includes a unified stablecoin settlement layer and integrations ranging from real-world asset platforms to NFT-based mini-apps developed by major consumer platforms.
Since going live in January 2025, Soneium has scaled rapidly, processing more than 500 million transactions, onboarding over 5.4 million active wallets, and supporting upwards of 250 live decentralized applications.
Beyond Soneium, Startale also operates Astar Network, widely regarded as Japan’s largest public blockchain, underscoring the company’s broader role in shaping on-chain infrastructure across Asia and beyond.