What exactly is “IVS CORE”? As the PR representative, I’ll answer frequently asked questions one by one.

I’m Suna Nagare, in charge of PR for IVS2026.

Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about “IVS CORE,” the new invitation-only area we’re launching this year at “IVS2026,” which will be held in Kyoto from July 1. Many of you may be wondering, “What is this, really?” “What changes?” “Why did you create it?”

So, from my position as the PR lead, I’d like to answer the most common questions in a Q&A format. I’m on the organizer side, but I’ll write as honestly and concretely as I can.

I hope this is helpful.

Q1. What exactly is IVS CORE?

A. IVS CORE is an invitation-only area of IVS where the people who will determine the next stage of Japan’s startup ecosystem come together.

Over two days, Wednesday, July 1 and Thursday, July 2, only about 1,000 decision-makers will gather at Hotel Okura Kyoto. We envision participants who can move the future of industry through their own decisions: startup founders and executives, financial institutions, institutional investors, asset owners, senior executives of large corporations and business leaders, government and local government officials, policymakers, and researchers and academics.

If the main IVS event (Miyakomesse and ROHM Theatre Kyoto) is “a place with energy from more than 13,000 people,” then IVS CORE is “a place for decision-making.”

Because IVS CORE is invitation-only, only those invited by the organizers may participate.

Q2. Why did you create IVS CORE now?

A. After running the event at a 10,000-person scale for three years, we felt it was necessary to regain “density.”

In recent years, IVS has continued to grow, and at IVS2025 more than 13,000 people attended. While the event has become a large-scale conference as attendance increased year by year, we also heard from multiple participants that “there are too many people, so there isn’t enough time to meet the people we should really be meeting,” and “as a place for decision-making, it has become too large.”

The expansion of IVS until now was, in a sense, a pursuit of “breadth.” We’re proud that we’ve contributed to creating excitement around startups and sharing that excitement domestically and internationally. But we concluded that it’s important not only to have “breadth,” but also to regain “density.”

That’s why we decided to create an intensive setting for just 1,000 people at a separate venue, Hotel Okura, rather than inside Miyakomesse.

Q3. How is the 13,000-person main IVS event different from the 1,000-person IVS CORE?

A. In short, it’s a difference in purpose.

The main IVS event is about “breadth,” while IVS CORE is about “density.” Same dates, same Kyoto, but the quality of the experience is different.

Those with a CORE PASS can access both venues all day, every day. The CORE PASS is designed so that you can experience both “the density of Hotel Okura” and “the energy of Miyakomesse.”

Q4. Are all IVS CORE sessions off the record?

A. Basically, yes. All sessions are off the record, and recording, audio recording, and posting on social media are all prohibited. Taking photos during sessions is also prohibited (there are some sessions planned that will not be off the record).

We chose this format because certain discussions only emerge when “being closed” is guaranteed. Whether you’re a business leader or a policymaker, there are things you can say publicly and things you cannot. At IVS CORE, we made all sessions off the record as a basic policy so that participants can have serious discussions and speak openly.

Each session is 90 minutes. That makes them longer than the sessions at the main IVS event. The reason is not to “say just the key points briefly,” but to “settle in and discuss things properly.”

A closed setting based on trust among participants is the fundamental rule of IVS CORE.

Q5. What kind of speakers will you have?

A. We are currently coordinating the speakers, but we plan to have current cabinet ministers, former ministers, members of the House of Representatives, fund GPs, listed-company CEOs, top executives from industry, founders, policymakers, and others who are responsible for decision-making in their respective fields.

We are inviting people who make decisions at the forefront of each field. We also plan to have former and current cabinet ministers speak.

We will announce specific names gradually from late May onward.

Here are some of the session themes.

1. Implementing “new capitalism”

2. How do we build a country that channels capital into startups?

3. At this once-in-a-century period of transformation, can Japan win?

4. Decision-making in the world, industry, and infrastructure

5. Open innovation in the defense sector

6. A new industrial model where technology, capital, and talent circulate

Q6. What is the “Guest Connector Program”?

A. It is a system in which we take requests from participants about the people they want to meet, find the best matching participant at the venue, and introduce them on the spot.

In a large venue, if you rely on chance, conversations often end with a business-card exchange, and you never get to have a real discussion. At IVS CORE, we design encounters among decision-makers according to purpose, such as business negotiations, fundraising, business alliances, and policy collaboration. The idea behind the Guest Connector Program is to eliminate “I wanted to meet them, but couldn’t.”

Q7. I heard there are two types of CORE PASS. What’s the difference?

A. The experience is the same. The price and eligibility are different.

CORE PASS Startup is, as the name suggests, a pass for startups. For startup founders, opportunities to speak on equal footing with corporate executives who have decision-making authority and VC GPs are actually not that common. With that in mind, we’ve priced it for startups so they can make the most of this opportunity.

CORE PASS Startup is also screening-based. The basic criteria are that you are within 7 years of founding and have raised or plan to raise equity financing. Deep-tech is exempt from the age requirement, and university-origin startups are also eligible.

Q8. What exactly can you access with a CORE PASS?

A. This may be the most important point in this article.

With a CORE PASS, you can participate in all IVS CORE programs in the CORE area (Hotel Okura Kyoto). In addition, you can also access all three days of the full IVS2026 program at the main IVS venue (Miyakomesse and ROHM Theatre Kyoto).

On top of that, another important benefit is access to the “Speaker Lounge” (inside ROHM Theatre Kyoto) all day.

The Speaker Lounge is a lounge and waiting area exclusively for speakers at the main IVS event. Normally, only speakers scheduled to present that day can enter this space. IVS CORE participants can also enter freely. Personally, I think this is a significant benefit from the perspective of IVS CORE participants.

Every year at the main IVS event, nearly 200 speakers who are active at the forefront of their industries attend. Executives, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, politicians, creators. These kinds of people often rest in the Speaker Lounge before or after their talks, or chat casually with other speakers.

I’ve personally seen cases where speakers connect with one another through this lounge and it leads to new businesses and other developments. That’s why I hope you’ll take full advantage of it as a benefit for IVS CORE participants.

Q9. Isn’t ¥199,800 expensive?

A. I completely understand that point. Compared with the price of a PASS for the main IVS event, it may indeed seem high.

That said, if you list everything included in one CORE PASS, you get the following benefits.

• Access to all programs for two days of IVS CORE (July 1 and 2)

• Full access to all IVS2026 programs (three days from July 1 to 3)

• Speaker Lounge access (main IVS / normally a space only for speakers)

• Lunch networking in the Hotel Okura Kyoto lounge (Day 2)

• Use of dedicated meeting booths

• IVS PASS referral code included

In addition to that, you also get introductions among decision-makers through the Guest Connector Program, as well as candid discussions that are possible only because the sessions are off the record.

Our thinking behind the pricing is based on “the value of two days of dialogue among decision-makers and the decisions that move in real time.” If even one business negotiation, one funding round, one M&A, or something similar gets concretely moving, we believe the price is fully justified.

Put differently, it may be expensive if you’re only coming to listen to sessions. This pricing is designed for people who want to “meet, talk, and decide.”

Q10. I wasn’t invited, but can I still participate?

A. You cannot apply directly. Please register for the Waiting List.

If you register for the Waiting List, we will contact you first when additional invitations become available. We will review the information you provide, and those who are judged to meet the participation criteria will be contacted in order.

Q11. What happens on Friday, July 3?

A. On Friday, July 3, we will move to the main IVS venue (Miyakomesse and ROHM Theatre Kyoto), where you can enjoy the IVS area, including IVS LAUNCHPAD. We hope you’ll experience both “the density of Hotel Okura” and “the energy of Miyakomesse” to the fullest over the three days.

Q12. In the end, what do you take home from IVS CORE?

A. The essence of IVS CORE lies less in the content of the talks themselves and more in “meeting people you can speak with as equals at the same table.”

At a typical conference, interactions among speakers and participants often end at the level of a business-card exchange. At IVS CORE, we’ve created a system that lets you sit down and have serious discussions with the people you actually want to talk to, through the Guest Connector Program, dedicated meeting booths, and lunches in the Hotel Okura Kyoto lounge.

Over these two days, through 90-minute off-the-record sessions, casual lunch conversations, and one-on-one business discussions in dedicated booths, something concrete begins to move—business negotiations, fundraising, M&A, business partnerships, policy collaboration, and more. That is what you can “take home” from IVS CORE.

In closing

So, I answered some frequently asked questions about IVS CORE from the perspective of PR.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us. Registration for CORE PASS and the Waiting List is available on the official IVS CORE website.