diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index c19ab66..da4d111 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -46,3 +46,5 @@ export {
   DefaultLibp2pOptions,
   DefaultLibp2pBrowserOptions
 } from './config/libp2p/index.js'
+
+export { startOrbitDB } from './utils/index.js'
diff --git a/src/utils/index.js b/src/utils/index.js
index a6ac16f..67737d6 100644
--- a/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/src/utils/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import createId from './create-id.js'
-
+import startOrbitDB from './start.js'
 export {
-  createId
+  createId,
+  startOrbitDB
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/start.js b/src/utils/start.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..948d22c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/start.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { createHelia } from 'helia'
+import { createLibp2p } from 'libp2p'
+import { LevelBlockstore } from 'blockstore-level'
+import { bitswap } from '@helia/block-brokers'
+import createOrbitDB from '../orbitdb.js'
+import { DefaultLibp2pOptions, DefaultLibp2pBrowserOptions } from '../config/libp2p/index.js'
+
+const isBrowser = () => typeof window !== 'undefined'
+
+/**
+ * Start a new OrbitDB peer with a preconfigured Helia instance.
+ * @function startOrbitDB
+ * @param {Object} params One or more parameters for configuring OrbitDB.
+ * @param {IPFS} params.ipfs An IPFS instance.
+ * @param {module:Identity|Object} [params.identity] An identity instance or an object containing an Identity Provider instance and any additional params required to create the identity using the specified provider.
+ * @param {Function} [params.identity.provider] An initialized identity provider.
+ * @param {module:Identities} [params.identities] An Identities system instance.
+ * @param {string} [params.directory] A location for storing OrbitDB data.
+ * @return {module:OrbitDB~OrbitDB} An instance of OrbitDB.
+ * @throws "IPFS instance is required argument" if no IPFS instance is provided.
+ * @instance
+ */
+export default async ({ id, identity, identities, directory } = {}) => {
+  const options = isBrowser() ? DefaultLibp2pBrowserOptions : DefaultLibp2pOptions
+  const libp2p = await createLibp2p({ ...options })
+  directory = directory || '.'
+  const blockstore = new LevelBlockstore(`${directory}/ipfs/blocks`)
+  const ipfs = await createHelia({ libp2p, blockstore, blockBrokers: [bitswap()] })
+  return createOrbitDB({ ipfs, id, identity, identities, directory })
+}
diff --git a/test/orbitdb-start.test.js b/test/orbitdb-start.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6abb1be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/orbitdb-start.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { startOrbitDB } from '../src/index.js'
+import { deepStrictEqual } from 'assert'
+import { rimraf } from 'rimraf'
+
+describe('Starting OrbitDB', function () {
+  it('starts OrbitDB with a preconfigured Helia instance', async () => {
+    const orbitdb = await startOrbitDB({ directory: './ipfs' })
+    const db1 = await orbitdb.open('db1')
+    await db1.add('hello world!')
+
+    deepStrictEqual((await db1.all()).map(e => e.value), ['hello world!'])
+    await orbitdb.stop()
+    await orbitdb.ipfs.stop()
+    await rimraf('./orbitdb')
+    await rimraf('./ipfs')
+  })
+})