IVS 2026 is Japan’s leading startup conference, bringing together startups, investors, major corporations, creators, and other innovators from across Japan and all over the world. The event will be held July 1-3 in Kyoto under the theme “Japan is Back.”
This year, IVS is introducing two areas: the culmination edition of the “IVS” area—an evolution of IVS2023, IVS2024, and IVS2025 held in Kyoto (Kyoto City Kangyokan Miyakomesse and ROHM Theatre Kyoto)—and a newly established Reiwa-era, fully invitation-only IVS “IVS CORE” area (Hotel Okura Kyoto). The event will be held across these two areas.
IVS2026 will pursue “height” thoroughly.
The value of startups. The significance of taking on challenges. The appeal of being a founder. By showing these heights, we will encourage new players who aspire to them to enter the field. Building on the “breadth” we have cultivated by running IVS at the scale of 10,000 participants for three consecutive years, this year we move toward “height.”
IVS2026 is designed not as a place merely to listen, but as a place to think, speak, and make decisions.
By the end of the three days, something within you will have shifted. The way you act from the following day will be different.
That is the kind of experience we aim to create.
Speakers include:
- Seiji Kihara, Member of the House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party of Japan / Secretary-General of the Headquarters for Japan’s Growth Strategy
- Nobuchika Imaizumi, Counsellor for Crypto-Assets, Blockchain and Innovation, Strategy Development and Management Bureau, Financial Services Agency of Japan
- Yuki Tanaka, BlackRock Japan
- Mitsunori Yuasa, Franklin Templeton Japan
- Emi Hidaka, Nomura Holdings
- Akio Isowa, SMBC Group
- Daniel Heffernan, Representative Director, Stripe Japan
- Yusuke Jinguuji, PayPay
- Jin Lee, LINE NEXT
- Michihiko Kasai, Coincheck Digital Assets
- Takeshi Chino, Binance Japan
- Sebastien Borget, CEO, The Sandbox
- Hilmar Pétursson, CEO, Fenris Creations
- Manuel Beaudroit, Co-Founder, Belo
- Noritaka Okabe, CEO, JPYC
- Jonathan M. Hayashi, CEO, Backseat
- Gary Mao, Co-Founder, Orange Cap Games
- Edward Chen, Co-Founder, Seeds Labs
- Tatsuya Saito, CEO, Progmat
- Kelvin Koh, Co-Founder, The Spartan Group
- Simon Kim, CEO/Managing Partner, Hashed
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