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

I’m Sunari, 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 as part of IVS2026, which will be held in Kyoto from July 1. Many of you may be wondering things like, “What is this, after all?,” “What changes?,” and “Why did you make it?”

So, from my position as the PR lead, I’ll try answering the common questions in a simple Q&A format. As someone on the organizer side, I’ll be as honest and as specific as possible.

I hope this is helpful.

Q1. What exactly is IVS CORE?

A. IVS CORE is an invitation-only area of IVS where the stakeholders who will decide the next chapter for Japanese startups gather.

Over two days, Wednesday, July 1, and Thursday, July 2, about 1,000 decision-makers will gather at Hotel Okura Kyoto. We envision participants as startup founders and executives who can move the future of industries through their decisions, leaders from financial institutions, institutional investors, and asset owners, top executives from large corporations and operating companies, government and municipal officials, policy stakeholders, as well as researchers and academics.

If the main IVS event (Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto) is “a place with the energy of 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 organizer can participate.

Q2. Why did you create IVS CORE now?

A. After holding the event at a 10,000-person scale for three years, we felt we needed to bring back “density.”

In recent years, IVS has grown in attendance, and IVS2025 welcomed more than 13,000 people. While the event has become larger every year and evolved into a major conference, we also heard from multiple participants that “there are too many people, and I can’t spend enough time with the people I really need to meet,” and “as a place for decision-making, it has become too large.”

I think IVS’s expansion up to now was, in a sense, a pursuit of “breadth.” We are proud that we have made a certain contribution by generating startup excitement and sharing that excitement domestically and internationally. However, we felt it was important not only to have “breadth,” but also to regain “density.”

So, instead of inside Miyako Messe, we decided to create an intense space for just 1,000 people at a separate venue, Hotel Okura.

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

A. In a word, it’s the “purpose.”

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

Those with a CORE PASS can access both events for all days. The CORE PASS is designed so that you can experience both “the density of Hotel Okura” and “the energy of Miyako Messe.”

Q4. Are all IVS CORE sessions off the record?

A. Basically, yes: all sessions are off the record, and recording, audio capture, and social media posts are all prohibited. Photography during sessions is also prohibited. (Some sessions are planned to be on the record.)

The reason we chose this format is that some discussions only emerge when it is guaranteed to be “closed.” Whether you’re a business leader or a policy-maker, there are things you can say publicly and things you can’t. At IVS CORE, we made all sessions off the record as a basic policy so that participants can discuss and speak in earnest.

Each session is 90 minutes. We’ve made them longer than the sessions at the main IVS event. The idea is not to “talk briefly and get to the point,” but to “settle in and have a serious discussion.”

A closed setting built on trust among participants is the basic rule of IVS CORE.

Q5. What kind of speakers will there be?

A. We are still coordinating the speakers, but we plan to have current Cabinet ministers, former ministers, members of the House of Representatives, fund GPs, CEOs of listed companies, top industry leaders, founders, and policy-makers take the stage—people who are responsible for decision-making in each field.

We are inviting people who are making decisions at the forefront of each sector. We also plan to have current and former ministers appear as speakers.

We will announce specific names one by one starting in late May.

Here are some of the session themes.

1.        Implementing the “new form of capitalism”

2.        How do you build a country that circulates capital into startups?

3.        At a once-in-a-century turning point, can Japan “win”?

4.        Decision-making for 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 where we take requests from participants about who they want to meet, find the best match on-site, and introduce them in the moment.

In a large venue, if you rely on chance, things often end up as nothing more than a business card exchange, and you never get to have a real conversation. At IVS CORE, we design meetings between decision-makers based on purpose—whether that’s business negotiations, fundraising, business partnerships, or 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 kinds of CORE PASS. What’s the difference?

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

CORE PASS Startup, as the name suggests, is a pass for startups. For startup founders, opportunities to speak on equal footing with corporate executives who have decision-making authority or with VC GPs are actually not that common. We set the startup price because we want you to make the most of this opportunity.

CORE PASS Startup is also screening-based. The basic criteria are: within 7 years of founding, with equity financing already raised or planned. Deep-tech is open regardless of years since founding, and university-born startups are included.

Q8. With a CORE PASS, where exactly can I enter?

A. This may be the most important point I want to share in this article.

Those with a CORE PASS can participate not only in the CORE area (Hotel Okura Kyoto) but also in all IVS CORE programs. In addition, they get all-day access to all three days of the main IVS event (Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto).

On top of that, there is another important benefit: access to the “Speaker Lounge” inside ROHM Theatre Kyoto, also for all days.

The Speaker Lounge is a waiting room and lounge reserved for speakers at the main IVS event. Normally, only speakers appearing that day can enter this space. IVS CORE participants will also be able to enter freely. Personally, I think this benefit is a big one from the IVS CORE participant’s perspective.

Every year, nearly 200 speakers active on the front lines of various industries come to the main IVS event. Executives, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, politicians, creators. People like that often rest in the Speaker Lounge before and after their talks, or chat casually with other speakers.

I’ve personally seen cases where speakers connected with one another through this lounge and went on to create new business opportunities. That’s why I hope IVS CORE participants will make use of it as one of their benefits.

Q9. Isn’t ¥199,800 expensive?

A. I understand the concern very well. Compared with the price of the main IVS pass, it may certainly seem expensive.

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

·      Full access to all IVS CORE programs over the two days (July 1 and 2)

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

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

·      Lunch networking at the Hotel Okura Kyoto lounge (2 days)

·      Access to a dedicated meeting booth

·      Dedicated rickshaw transportation from hotels in Kyoto City

·      IVS PASS referral code

In addition, you’ll have introductions between decision-makers through the Guest Connector Program, as well as candid discussion made possible by the off-the-record format.

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.” We believe that if even one business negotiation, one fundraising round, one M&A, or something similar moves forward in a concrete way, the price is more than justified.

Conversely, if you’re only coming to listen to sessions, it may indeed feel expensive. This pricing is designed for those whose goal is to “meet, talk, and decide.”

Q10. Can I participate if I wasn’t invited?

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

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

Q11. What happens on Friday, July 3?

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

Q12. So, what do you actually take away from IVS CORE?

A. The essence of IVS CORE is not the content of the sessions themselves, but rather “meeting people you can speak to as equals at the same table.”

At a typical conference, interactions with speakers and other participants often end at the level of exchanging business cards. At IVS CORE, through the Guest Connector Program, dedicated meeting booths, and lunch at the Hotel Okura Kyoto lounge, we’ve prepared a system that lets you have serious discussions with the people you genuinely want to talk to.

Across these two days, through 90-minute off-the-record sessions, casual lunch conversations, and one-on-one business meetings in dedicated booths, concrete actions such as business negotiations, fundraising, M&A, business partnerships, and policy collaboration can begin to move. That is what you can “take home” from IVS CORE.

Closing

So, as the PR lead, I answered some of the most common questions about IVS CORE.

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.