IVS2026 has confirmed the provision of an official on-site childcare service by Josan-she’s. Certified midwives, nurses, and childcare professionals will be on site, with care available for children from 0 years old.

IVS2026, one of Japan’s largest startup conferences, will be held over three days from Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026, with Miyakomesse and Hotel Okura Kyoto serving as the main venues. This year again, an official on-site childcare facility will be available, creating an environment where entrepreneurs, investors, and business professionals raising children can participate with peace of mind, and ensuring equal opportunities for all participants. Operations will be handled by Josan-she's Inc. (hereinafter "Josan-she's"), which provides pregnancy-to-childcare support services by midwives.

Neither Parenting nor Challenge—Giving Up on Neither

The theme of IVS2026 is "Japan is Back." Under this banner, all kinds of players—from entrepreneurs and investors to corporate decision-makers, supporters, and students—will gather in Kyoto.

At the same time, many people have had to give up attending for the reason, "I want to participate, but I have nowhere to leave my child." Entrepreneurs who want to pitch for fundraising, investors looking for their next investment target, and business professionals who want to learn from frontline sessions are also active parents.

IVS is working to create an environment where no one loses opportunities because of "parenting." We will again offer the official on-site childcare service that was well received at IVS2025 last year.

Childcare Service Overview

As with last year, Josan-she's will be in charge of operations. Licensed midwives, nurses, or childcare workers will always be on site, and children from infants (0 years old) to preschool age can be cared for.

Web cameras will be installed in the childcare room. Parents can check on their children in real time from their smartphones at any time.

In addition to on-site childcare at the event venue, nighttime childcare is also planned at nearby hotels as a "postpartum care hotel." Throughout the three-day event, we will provide a system that allows participants to attend daytime sessions through side events with peace of mind.

Childcare Service Overview

Comment from Aiko Watanabe, CEO of Josan-she's

We don’t want people who take on challenges to give up because of parenting.
Since taking charge of childcare at IVS from 2024, we have increasingly felt the significance of creating an environment where people can come with their children. People who leave their children with us to attend sessions. People who go pitch to VCs for fundraising.

"Because I could leave my child with peace of mind, I was able to go seize opportunities."

The expressions of those who tell us this are our driving force. Because we ourselves are also a startup taking on challenges, we believe we can provide the support everyone truly needs. At IVS2026 as well, we will care for your precious children with all our heart.

Call for Sponsoring Companies

At IVS2026, we are seeking partner companies to support childcare service operations, safety measures, and experience design.

In addition to its social significance in supporting the child-rearing generation, this initiative contributes to enhancing corporate value through PR of a company’s future-oriented and diversity-minded stance, and by creating ongoing touchpoints with parenting demographics. We welcome companies interested in D&I, childcare support, education, and healthcare fields.

Contact: https://www.ivs.events/ja/about-sponsorship

Overview of IVS2026

IVS is one of Japan’s largest startup conferences, launched in 2007. Startups, investors, major corporations, creators, and others from Japan and abroad gather in one place, and in 2026 it will be held in Kyoto under the theme "Japan is Back."

This year, in addition to the culmination edition of the "IVS" area (Kyoto City Industrial Promotion Hall "Miyakomesse" and "ROHM Theatre Kyoto"), evolved from IVS2023, IVS2024, and IVS2025 held in Kyoto, a new Reiwa-era fully invitation-only IVS "IVS CORE" area (Hotel Okura Kyoto) will be established. The event will be held across these two areas.

[IVS ("Miyakomesse" / "ROHM Theatre Kyoto")]

This area is open to everyone creating the next generation: startup stakeholders, operating companies, investors, aspiring entrepreneurs, supporters, government, research institutions, and students. It features stage sessions, the startup exhibition "Startup Market," and IVS’s flagship pitch event "IVS LAUNCHPAD," among others.

[IVS CORE (Hotel Okura Kyoto)] *Newly established / Fully invitation-only

This is a fully invitation-only area where only decision-makers participate, including startup executives, institutional investors, senior executives of major corporations, and government/policy officials. It offers a venue where concrete decisions are made, with all sessions off the record, power matching among decision-makers, M&A matching, and more.

An access pass is required to participate in IVS2026. There are two types: the "IVS PASS," which grants access to the IVS area, and the fully invitation-only "CORE PASS," which grants access to the IVS CORE area. IVS PASS adopts a referral system in which trusted people introduce other trusted people, with the referral chain expanding from IVS staff and speakers. Until a certain number of passes are issued, registration is available at the referral price (free), after which sales will shift to paid general sales once referral slots end. Participants confirmed through referral will be granted new invitation slots. CORE PASS can be purchased only by invitees.

PASS sales/registration: Scheduled to begin in mid-April 2026

Name: IVS2026

Theme: Japan is Back

Dates: Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026

Locations: Kyoto City Industrial Promotion Hall "Miyakomesse," ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Hotel Okura Kyoto, and others

Organizer: IVS KYOTO Executive Committee (Headline Japan / Kyoto Prefecture / Kyoto City)

Official website: https://www.ivs.events/

Official X: https://x.com/IVS_Official

About Josan-she's Inc.

They operate "Josan-she's," a prenatal and postnatal care service that supports the period from pregnancy through child-rearing both online and offline through staff of female professionals including midwives. They create diverse work styles through low-month-age babysitting, prenatal/postnatal care facilities and visiting care through both in-house operations and collaboration with other companies, and HR services specialized for obstetric facilities.

By creating a new framework for approximately 60,000 (※1) inactive midwives to play active roles, they promote systems that provide specialized support from pregnancy through postpartum at pregnancy and childbirth sites where staffing shortages are a challenge.

In July 2025, they joined Chuo Ward’s postpartum care project, and in January 2026, Taito Ward’s prenatal and postnatal support helper project. In September 2025, they launched the Prenatal and Postnatal Care Innovation Association as the lead organizing company, strengthening public-private collaboration for postpartum care services beyond their own company.

(※1) The number of inactive midwives is calculated as: "Number of national midwifery exam passers - Number of employed midwives"

Source: "Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat)" Health Administration Report Examples (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), "FY Reiwa 4 Health Administration Report Examples"

About the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee

For hosting IVS in Kyoto, Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, and Kyoto City jointly established this committee with the aim of further developing the startup ecosystem and further promoting regional industries. By promoting integration between startups and the companies, universities/research institutions, and cultural resources concentrated in Kyoto, the committee will contribute to creating new industries and producing globally competitive startup companies.

<Constituent Organizations>
Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City