The largest startup conference in Japan, "IVS2026", will be held for three days from Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026, with Miyako Messe, ROHM Theatre Kyoto, and Hotel Okura Kyoto as the main venues. We are pleased to announce the first batch of spotlight sessions to be held at IVS (Miyako Messe, ROHM Theatre Kyoto). The spotlight sessions for IVS CORE will be announced separately.
Under the theme "Japan is Back", IVS2026 is thoroughly designed to pursue "height" and prove the true value of Japanese startups to the world. In this release, as the first part, we introduce the spotlight sessions featuring entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and policymakers active on the front lines.
Wednesday, July 1
Government as a Catalyst: The Next-Generation Industrial Ecosystem Created by Government Demand
Innovation driven by government demand, creating new industries starting from national challenges such as space, defense, and climate. Can government procurement and policies serve as engines for startup growth? Based on global examples, we will discuss the model of industry creation Japan should aim for.
Moderator:
Mr. Hiroyasu Maekawa (Representative Director, Funds Startups, Inc.)
Speakers:
Mr. Hiroshi Ishikawa (Director, Innovation and New Business Promotion Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) / Mr. Kazuhiko Chuma (Executive Officer CBDO, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. / Mizuho Bank, Ltd.) / Mr. Jin Tomioka (Representative Director & CEO, Telexistence Inc.)
Domestic Cloud and AI as National Infrastructure — Sovereign Digital Foundations and Startups
Competitiveness in the AI era depends not only on models and apps, but also on digital infrastructure such as cloud computing, calculation resources, data foundations, and administrative systems. In this session, focusing on domestic cloud, domestic AI, GovTech, and public procurement, we will discuss how to foster digital infrastructure companies originating from Japan.
Moderator:
Mr. Sho Okiyama (Representative Director, Jaris Co., Ltd. / Representative Director, AI Safety Promotion Organization)
Speakers:
Mr. Soichiro Imaeda (Member of the House of Representatives, State Minister for Digital Affairs / State Minister of the Cabinet Office) / Mr. Ryosuke Takahashi (Representative Director & CEO, Acompany Co., Ltd. / President, Privacy Tech Association) / Mr. Masatoshi Yokota (Executive Officer (in charge of Cloud Business Strategy Division), Sakura Internet Inc.)
IPOs Are Just Passing Points. Deciphering the Essence of Management that Drives Market Capitalization from the Growth of SHIFT
Why did a startup that went public with a market cap of approximately 3.4 billion yen grow to a scale of 600 billion yen in market cap in 10 years? While looking back at SHIFT's progress and management decisions, from utilizing M&A to systematizing business operations, a founding entrepreneur and a capital market professional will delve deeply into the strategy as an AI company toward the next market cap of 1 trillion yen.
Moderator:
Mr. Koichi Maruo (Representative Director, Major7th Co., Ltd., former Senior Managing Director, Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd.)
Speakers:
Mr. Masaru Tange (Representative Director and President, SHIFT Inc.)
Thursday, July 2
Global AI Landscape: US-Japan Synergy and Strategies (EN)
As AI reshapes global industries and geopolitical tensions rise, the bridge between Silicon Valley’s cutting-edge innovation and Japan’s unique market is becoming critical. This session brings together key leaders from OpenHome, OpenAI, Headline, and Techstars, to explore how the US and Japan can forge powerful synergies in AI development, investment, and adoption.
Moderator:
Mr. Yuki Shirato (Techstars Tokyo)
Speakers:
Ms. Shalini Rao (Headline US, Growth Fund) / Mr. Thomas Jeng (OpenAI, Sales head of Asia region) / Ms. Shannon Wu (OpenHome, CEO / Co-Founder)
The Counterattack of the Maritime Nation Japan
Japan has been called a resource-poor nation. However, Japan, with its vast exclusive economic zone and high marine technology capabilities, holds dormant multifaceted growth opportunities such as resources, food, energy, logistics, and biotechnology. How far can new industries staged in the ocean, such as deep-sea resources, smart aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, submarine infrastructure, and maritime DX, be established? We will explore the roles of public-private partnerships and startups.
Moderator:
Mr. Ryoto Iwasaki (Associate, Incubate Fund Co., Ltd.)
Speakers:
Mr. Tadatoshi Kaneko (Director, National Ocean Policy Secretariat, Cabinet Office) / Mr. Satoshi Yoshiga (Representative Director, President & CEO, FullDepth Co., Ltd.) / Mr. Ryosuke Itai (Representative Director & CEO, UMIAILE Co., Ltd.)
Friday, July 3
What Value is CVC Creating? -Redefining "Strategic Investment" in Startup Growth-
CVCs have been expected to support the growth of startups. However, in reality, is their role as a "fund pursuing returns" or "strategic investment creating business synergies"? It may also be necessary to redefine how they demonstrate value. In this session, based on facts, we will discuss the potential of CVCs' multifaceted value creation, such as using corporate assets, providing customer bases, and joint development.
Moderator:
Mr. Masahiro Kanamaru (General Manager, Creative Incubation Department, Sony Group Corporation)
Speakers:
Mr. Goshi Araki (General Manager, Corporate Development Department, MIXI, Inc.) / Mr. Hiroshi Oka (General Partner, Spiral Innovation Partners Association) / Ms. Yuko Sasahara (Representative Director, President & CEO, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc.)
The Delight Creation Ecosystem with Startups Aimed by DeNA
One year after declaring "AI" For & With Startups at IVS in 2025. In addition to achievements of support programs like Go-to-Market support, we will talk about the "Delight Creation Ecosystem" that supports those who challenge themselves to create Delight—the figure DeNA aims for—and feeds back the results to help the next challengers. We look forward to the participation of startups who are ready to challenge together with DeNA.
Speaker: Ms. Tomoko Namba (Representative Director and Founder, DeNA Co., Ltd.)
Special Dialogue: Mr. Toru Kenjo × Mr. Susumu Fujita Special Dialogue powered by FINCHI
In "Special Dialogue: Mr. Toru Kenjo x Mr. Susumu Fujita powered by FINCHI", a collaboration between Mr. Toru Kenjo, Representative Director and President of Gentosha Inc., who has established numerous legends in the Japanese publishing world, and Mr. Susumu Fujita, Representative Director and President of CyberAgent, Inc., who has continued to lead the internet industry since its dawn, will come to life.
About 15 years after the publication of their co-authored book "If It's Not Melancholy, It's Not Work", which yielded many famous quotes, the two, who have continued to interact and produce overwhelming results in their respective fields, will talk about their current pride in work, the philosophy necessary for management, and their views on investment, such as funding and M&A.
This session will be held courtesy of FINCHI, the Diamond Sponsor of IVS. FINCHI is a financial platform that directly connects companies planning M&A or minority investments.
Please come to the venue to receive the passion for management and finance spoken of by these two exceptional entrepreneurs.
Speakers:
Mr. Toru Kenjo (Representative Director and President, Gentosha Inc.) / Mr. Susumu Fujita (Representative Director and President, CyberAgent, Inc.)
Other Sessions
In addition to these, numerous sessions are scheduled throughout the three days. Details and speakers for each session will be announced as they are confirmed.
Overview of IVS2026
IVS, which started in 2007, is the largest startup conference in Japan. Gathering domestic and international startups, investors, large corporations, creators, and others, it will be held in Kyoto in 2026 under the theme "Japan is Back".
This year, we have established two areas: the "IVS" area (Kyoto International Exhibition Hall "Miyako Messe" and "ROHM Theatre Kyoto"), which is the evolutionary culmination of IVS2023, IVS2024, and IVS2025 held in Kyoto, and a newly established invitation-only Reiwa-version IVS "IVS CORE" area (Hotel Okura Kyoto). The event will be held across these two areas.
【IVS ("Miyako Messe", "ROHM Theatre Kyoto")】
An area open to everyone who will create the next generation: startup associates, business companies, investors, aspiring entrepreneurs, supporters, government, research institutions, and students. We will host stage sessions, the startup exhibition "Startup Market", and IVS's signature pitch event "IVS LAUNCHPAD".
【IVS CORE (Hotel Okura Kyoto)】*Newly established, Invitation-only
This is a completely invitation-only area where only decision-makers participate, including startup founders, institutional investors, executives of large corporations, and government/policymakers. Providing a venue where concrete decision-making takes place, including all-session off-the-record discussions, power matching between decision-makers, and M&A matching.
An access pass is required to participate in IVS2026. There are two types: "IVS PASS", which allows participation in the IVS area, and the completely invitation-only "CORE PASS", which allows participation in the IVS CORE area. CORE PASS is a pass subject to screening and can only be purchased by invitees.
Name: IVS2026
Theme: Japan is Back
Dates: Wednesday, July 1 to Friday, July 3, 2026
Venues: Kyoto International Exhibition Hall "Miyako Messe", ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Hotel Okura Kyoto, etc.
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 the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee
For hosting IVS in Kyoto, with the aim of further developing the startup ecosystem and promoting regional industries, Headline Japan, Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, and Kyoto City jointly established this committee. We will promote the integration of startups with companies, universities/research institutions, cultural resources, etc., accumulated in Kyoto, leading to the creation of new industries and the output of startup companies that can compete globally.
Member Organizations: Headline Japan, Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City