Startbahn, Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Taihei Shii; hereinafter “Startbahn”) announces that it has transferred all shares of its wholly owned subsidiary, Art Beat, Inc. (hereinafter “Art Beat”), to Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshio Muramatsu; hereinafter “SME”).

Startbahn and SME reached an agreement for the full transfer of Art Beat shares, and the transaction was officially completed on April 8, 2025.

Art Beat is highly regarded as the operator of Tokyo Art Beat, one of Japan’s largest online art media platforms. Following this transfer, Art Beat is expected to evolve further under SME’s entertainment business umbrella. The Tokyo Art Beat platform will continue to operate as before.

Startbahn has focused its core business on supporting the authenticity and distribution of physical artworks and goods through Startrail, its blockchain platform for issuing and managing NFT-based and blockchain certificates. This transfer reflects a strategic decision to concentrate management resources on this core area and optimize business focus.


■ About Art Beat, Inc.

Founded in 2004, Art Beat operates Tokyo Art Beat, a bilingual Japanese-English media outlet covering the art scene. It features around 1,300 exhibition listings monthly, along with timely articles on contemporary art. It also produces video content via YouTube.
The Tokyo Art Beat website and app provide access to popular events, news, location-based exhibition search, and discount services such as “MuPon.” It has long been a trusted source in the Japanese art community.

【 Official Website 】https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/


■About Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.

• Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

• Representative: Toshio Muramatsu, President and Group CEO

• Overview: As the headquarters of the Sony Music Group in Japan, SME oversees group management through equity holdings and operates as a comprehensive entertainment company with a diverse business portfolio.
  
  【 Official Website 】https://www.sme.co.jp/
  
  
  ■ About Startbahn, Inc.
  
  Startbahn provides essential technology to people involved in the global art and culture ecosystem, aiming to build a more enriched society. It develops and operates the Startrail blockchain infrastructure, which supports authenticity and value preservation for artworks, along with:

• Startrail TAG: IC chips linking physical works to the blockchain

• Startrail Port: A management dashboard

• Startrail API: Tools for customized implementation
  
  【 Official Website 】https://startbahn.io
  
  
  ■ Contact Information
  
  Startbahn, Inc.
  
  PR Department
  
  📩 pr@startbahn.jp