diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5f0df0f..d1d3fc5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ These breaking changes apply to Python JSONPath in its default configuration. We
 
 **JSONPath function extension changes**
 
+- Added the `startswith(value, prefix)` function extension. `startswith` returns `True` if both arguments are strings and the second argument is a prefix of the first argument. See the [filter functions](https://jg-rp.github.io/python-jsonpath/functions/#startswith) documentation.
 - The non-standard `keys()` function extension has been reimplemented. It used to be a simple Python function, `jsonpath.function_extensions.keys`. Now it is a "well-typed" class, `jsonpath.function_extensions.Keys`. See the [filter functions](https://jg-rp.github.io/python-jsonpath/functions/#keys) documentation.
 
 **JSONPath features**
diff --git a/docs/functions.md b/docs/functions.md
index dddf339..4ddf99f 100644
--- a/docs/functions.md
+++ b/docs/functions.md
@@ -119,6 +119,20 @@ If _pattern_ is a string literal, it will be compiled at compile time, and raise
 
 If _pattern_ is a query and the result is not a valid regex, `False` is returned.
 
+## `startswith()`
+
+**_New in version 2.0.0_**
+
+```
+startswith(value: str, prefix: str) -> bool
+```
+
+Return `True` if `value` starts with `prefix`. If `value` or `prefix` are not strings, `False` is returned.
+
+```
+$[?startswith(@, 'ab')]
+```
+
 ## `typeof()`
 
 **_New in version 0.6.0_**
diff --git a/jsonpath/env.py b/jsonpath/env.py
index 1d0fa49..ee674ed 100644
--- a/jsonpath/env.py
+++ b/jsonpath/env.py
@@ -454,6 +454,7 @@ def setup_function_extensions(self) -> None:
         self.function_extensions["is"] = self.function_extensions["isinstance"]
         self.function_extensions["typeof"] = function_extensions.TypeOf()
         self.function_extensions["type"] = self.function_extensions["typeof"]
+        self.function_extensions["startswith"] = function_extensions.StartsWith()
 
     def validate_function_extension_signature(
         self, token: Token, args: List[Any]
diff --git a/jsonpath/function_extensions/__init__.py b/jsonpath/function_extensions/__init__.py
index 32848a3..28f3b37 100644
--- a/jsonpath/function_extensions/__init__.py
+++ b/jsonpath/function_extensions/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from .length import Length
 from .match import Match
 from .search import Search
+from .starts_with import StartsWith
 from .typeof import TypeOf
 from .value import Value
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
     "Length",
     "Match",
     "Search",
+    "StartsWith",
     "TypeOf",
     "validate",
     "Value",
diff --git a/jsonpath/function_extensions/starts_with.py b/jsonpath/function_extensions/starts_with.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..224f3af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jsonpath/function_extensions/starts_with.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+"""The `startswith` function extension."""
+
+from jsonpath.function_extensions import ExpressionType
+from jsonpath.function_extensions import FilterFunction
+
+
+class StartsWith(FilterFunction):
+    """The `startswith` function extension."""
+
+    arg_types = [ExpressionType.VALUE, ExpressionType.VALUE]
+    return_type = ExpressionType.LOGICAL
+
+    def __call__(self, value: object, prefix: object) -> bool:
+        """Return `True` if `value` starts with `prefix`."""
+        if not isinstance(value, str) or not isinstance(prefix, str):
+            return False
+
+        try:
+            return value.startswith(prefix)
+        except AttributeError:
+            return False
diff --git a/tests/test_keys_function.py b/tests/test_keys_function.py
index afae9b8..38bbb26 100644
--- a/tests/test_keys_function.py
+++ b/tests/test_keys_function.py
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ class Case:
     want: Union[Sequence[Any], Mapping[str, Any]]
 
 
-SOME_OBJECT = object()
-
 TEST_CASES = [
     Case(
         description="value in keys of an object",
diff --git a/tests/test_startswith_function.py b/tests/test_startswith_function.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffbaec4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_startswith_function.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import dataclasses
+import operator
+from typing import Any
+from typing import Mapping
+from typing import Sequence
+from typing import Union
+
+import pytest
+
+from jsonpath import JSONPathEnvironment
+
+
+@dataclasses.dataclass
+class Case:
+    description: str
+    path: str
+    data: Union[Sequence[Any], Mapping[str, Any]]
+    want: Union[Sequence[Any], Mapping[str, Any]]
+
+
+TEST_CASES = [
+    Case(
+        description="current value start with string",
+        path="$[?startswith(@, 'ab')]",
+        data={"x": "abc", "y": "abx", "z": "bcd", "-": "ab"},
+        want=["abc", "abx", "ab"],
+    ),
+    Case(
+        description="current key start with string",
+        path="$[?startswith(#, 'ab')]",
+        data={"abc": 1, "abx": 2, "bcd": 3, "ab": 4},
+        want=[1, 2, 4],
+    ),
+    Case(
+        description="value is not a string",
+        path="$[?startswith(@, 'ab')]",
+        data={"abc": 1, "abx": 2, "bcd": 3, "ab": 4},
+        want=[],
+    ),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def env() -> JSONPathEnvironment:
+    return JSONPathEnvironment()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("case", TEST_CASES, ids=operator.attrgetter("description"))
+def test_isinstance_function(env: JSONPathEnvironment, case: Case) -> None:
+    path = env.compile(case.path)
+    assert path.findall(case.data) == case.want