Sony Innovation Fund backs Startale with new $13 million round as soneium blockchain growth accelerates

Sony is doubling down on Web3 infrastructure as the soneium blockchain becomes a central pillar in its broader digital strategy for entertainment and AI.

Sony Innovation Fund deepens commitment to Startale

Startale Group has secured an additional $13 million investment from the Sony Innovation Fund, reinforcing a partnership focused on blockchain infrastructure for entertainment, intellectual property and artificial intelligence applications. The blockchain developer disclosed the new funding today in an official statement.

The latest capital injection is a follow-on to Sony’s backing in Startale’s seed round in September 2023. Moreover, the collaboration has expanded through Sony Block Solutions Labs, the joint venture that co-developed Soneium, an Ethereum Layer 2 network designed to support consumer and media use cases.

This investment strengthens Sony’s long-term blockchain strategy at the intersection of entertainment and distributed ledger technology. However, it also signals a push toward new IP-led platforms, creator-centric monetization and data-rich fan engagement as the media industry adapts to rapid advances in generative AI.

Soneium network hits major scale and adoption metrics

The Soneium mainnet, which went live in January 2025, has processed more than 500 million transactions to date, according to figures shared by Startale. Furthermore, the network counts approximately 5.4 million active wallets and supports more than 250 live decentralized applications, positioning it as an entertainment-focused Web3 ecosystem.

These metrics underline how the network is evolving into a specialized entertainment blockchain platform for media, gaming and fan communities. That said, Sony and Startale continue to emphasize infrastructure development over short-term token speculation, framing Soneium as a long-horizon bet on digital ownership and IP monetization.

Startale App and settlement layer at the core of the ecosystem

The Startale App now functions as the primary gateway into the broader Soneium environment. It combines wallet capabilities, digital asset management and application discovery, giving users a single interface to interact with decentralized services. Moreover, it is designed to abstract blockchain complexity away from mainstream audiences.

Alongside the app, Startale USD operates as a settlement layer that connects applications, users and payments across the network. This infrastructure aims to streamline value transfers for creators, studios and fans, enabling more flexible creator monetization models across entertainment franchises.

Strategic vision at the intersection of IP, AI and Web3

“Startale has been an important partner to Sony since the early days of Soneium,” said Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Group. “Our vision is to bring the world on-chain, and Sony’s continued support strengthens our ability to deliver the infrastructure required to realize that vision at global scale.”

The partnership is explicitly targeting onchain entertainment infrastructure where intellectual property, creators and communities converge. However, the companies also see an opportunity to use blockchain rails to support new formats for content creation and distribution as generative AI reshapes how media is produced and consumed.

Sony contributes deep entertainment industry expertise and mature technology capabilities, while Startale brings specialized blockchain infrastructure knowledge. Together, they aim to design systems that enable programmable IP, fan-owned assets and new revenue-sharing schemes aligned with digital-native audiences.

Global outlook and onchain value flows

Kazuhito Hadano, CEO of Sony Ventures Corporation, said Startale operates across core blockchain infrastructure and applications with a global perspective. Moreover, he emphasized that the company is focused on enabling new value flows through onchain technologies rather than chasing short-lived market narratives.

As the soneium blockchain matures, the partners are positioning the network as a foundation for next-generation entertainment experiences that integrate IP, community ownership and AI-powered content. In summary, the fresh $13 million from Sony Innovation Fund underscores a shared belief that scalable Web3 infrastructure will be crucial to the future of global media and digital fan engagement.