We are a Tokyo based team focused on creating the vision and real life solutions for how art, culture, and valuable objects are distributed, authenticated, and appreciated in this fast-paced, ever-changing 21st century. We apply the latest technologies like blockchain to create tools and systems that help creators, institutions, and businesses build long-term value.
Founded by artist and CEO Taihei Shii, Startbahn began with a question: what if artists could earn income not only when they sell a work, but every time it changes hands?
That idea led to the development of our core product, Startrail, a blockchain-based infrastructure that records provenance, issues digital certificates of authenticity, and enables resale royalties and revenue sharing across markets, just to name a few of the things it can do.
After many years of ideation and meticulous design, we launched Startrail on Ethereum in 2020, and have been expanding it ever since. Fast forward to today, thanks to a combination of experts from many fields and backgrounds, we are able to provide real solutions to businesses and creators using the latest technology.
What We Build
Our flagship product, Startrail, is a global infrastructure designed to create trusted records for art and cultural assets. It allows sellers, galleries, collectors, and institutions to issue tamper-proof digital certificates tied to real works, whether physical, digital, or hybrid. These certificates record an object’s lifecycle over time, including ownership, exhibitions, transfers, and appraisals.
For example, an artist can attach a Startrail certificate to a painting at the moment it is sold, allowing future collectors, galleries, or museums to instantly verify its authenticity and provenance. As the work changes hands over time, the record remains intact and can also enable creators or rights holders to receive royalties from secondary sales. This persistent record helps preserve the authenticity, traceability, and long-term value of cultural assets long after their first sale.
What’s more, due to the nature of this technology, our product can be effectively deployed to hundreds of different use cases: Valuable object selling, logistics tracking, tokenization of resources, real-life in person events… imagination is the limit.
To make the implementation of our technology effortless, we also build tools and services that make this technology accessible and useful, such as:
Startrail PORT: A platform to issue, manage, and transfer Startrail certificates
Startrail API: Infrastructure that galleries, e-commerce platforms, and marketplaces can embed into their own services
Startrail Tag: IC and NFC chips that connect physical objects to their digital provenance records
FUN FAN NFT: QR or NFC-activated NFT experiences for museums, events, and fan engagement
We understand every business is different. So, of course, we also develop solutions tailored to your use case.
What’s Next
We have many exciting plans for the next few years. We live in an extremely fast paced world. But that doesn’t mean we need to change our vision. We will keep in focus our goal of providing real-world solutions, while making the most of the latest technologies that are changing the world.
We’ll be applying our knowledge and experience in creating done-for-you marketplace solutions for those who want to sell valuable objects online but don’t really know how to succeed in creating or setting it up for success.
Of course, these marketplaces will be fully integrated with Startrail. That means, from the start, they will automatically benefit from:
Built-in provenance and authenticity
Automated resale royalties
International exposure
Logistics, certification, and payment handled in one place
This hybrid model will offer creators and sellers the benefits of visibility and ease of use, with long-term value built in.
Besides this and our existing products, we also have incredibly exciting projects that we’ll be sharing soon. We recommend you stay tuned!