Startale Group to open Abu Dhabi hub after $63M Series A

Startale Group will establish operations at the Abu Dhabi Global Market and station staff there after being selected for Hub71’s 18th Digital Assets cohort and completing a $63 million Series A round.

The company was chosen from more than 2,400 applicants as one of 27 firms joining Hub71+ Digital Assets, a specialist Web3 program backed by Mubadala Investment Co. and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. The program has more than $2 billion of committed capital and will anchor participants within ADGM, linking them with regulators, institutional partners and capital providers.

Startale plans to deploy personnel in Abu Dhabi in 2026 and work with regional regulators and investors as it scales across the Middle East. The firm will focus on blockchain infrastructure, application development and stablecoin innovation as it expands into regulated markets in the region and beyond.

The $63 million Series A, announced alongside the Hub71 placement, supports Startale’s development of stablecoin and blockchain services. Current projects include Soneium, developed with Sony Block Solutions Labs, Strium, and stablecoins JPYSC, developed with SBI Group, and USDSC. Startale also operates a consumer wallet app to support its ecosystem.

Startale CEO Sota Watanabe described Abu Dhabi Global Market as providing ‘regulatory clarity and global reach’ needed to scale the company’s ecosystem responsibly, and he said the location positions the firm to expand into new markets and align products with regulated frameworks.

Divya Claudia Nair, startup journey lead at Hub71, welcomed Startale into Cohort 18 and highlighted the company’s focus on digital asset infrastructure and the caliber of founders choosing Abu Dhabi as a launchpad for global growth.

ADGM has issued explicit rules for digital assets and attracted international blockchain firms seeking regulatory certainty. Hub71’s program pairs startups with funding and institutional support to accelerate development in regulated markets; Startale’s entry adds another infrastructure-focused participant to the cohort.

Startale added that its Abu Dhabi presence will support work on regulated stablecoins and infrastructure services for institutional and consumer markets, and that the Hub71+ placement will provide closer access to regional regulators and capital partners as it scales operations and deploys products.