IVS

What IVS does

IVS (Infinity Ventures Summit) is Japan's largest startup conference, founded in 2007 and organized by the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee comprising Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, and Kyoto City. The flagship annual event runs over three days in Kyoto (since 2023, four consecutive years) across dual venues: Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre for the open conference, and Hotel Okura Kyoto for the invitation-only IVS CORE executive area launched in 2026. The platform serves startup founders and investors, major corporations conducting innovation scouting, policymakers, students, and creators, drawing 13,000+ registered attendees from 70+ countries for IVS2026.

The product suite includes the IVS main conference, IVS CORE (off-the-record executive programming for ~1,000 decision-makers), IVS LAUNCHPAD (a flagship pitch contest in its 20th year with 60+ alumni exits and ¥300B+ cumulative alumni funding), IVS Startup Market (300+ exhibiting startups), KYOTO ZONE (regional deep-tech showcase), SPIKES and IVS Youth (student programming), and 500+ side events. Underlying technology is the proprietary 4S event platform handling registration, scheduling, networking, and analytics, augmented by AI-powered simultaneous interpretation (via Kotoba Technologies) and an algorithm-based pre-matching system. Pass tiers range from ¥4,980 Student PASS to ¥199,800 CORE PASS.

The business model is event-driven and relies on three revenue streams: tiered ticket sales (IVS PASS, Student PASS, CORE PASS, CORE PASS Startup), corporate sponsorship (Silver/Gold/Platinum/Diamond tiers), and side-event transaction fees. Distribution is direct via the 4S platform with referral-ticket acquisition and government co-organization providing venue and regional promotion support.

Name

IVS

Legal name

IVS (Infinity Ventures Summit)

Website

https://ivs.events

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IVS (Infinity Ventures Summit) organizes Japan's largest annual startup conference, held in Kyoto, drawing 13,000+ attendees from 70+ countries and serving founders, investors, corporates, students, and policymakers through ticketed programming, sponsorship tiers, and the IVS LAUNCHPAD pitch contest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Conference Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Finance & Investment Conferences (MPAGAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)

Keywords

• Startup conference series
• Investor networking events
• Pitch competition platform
• Corporate innovation summits
• Tech ecosystem events

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling event passes including IVS PASS, CORE PASS, and Student PASS at varying price points. Revenue is one-time per event cycle with early-bird pricing incentives.
2. Sponsorship Fees: Corporate sponsors pay for various sponsorship tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) to gain visibility and access to attendees. This includes the 90 English silver sponsor and other named partner categories.
3. Side Event Fees: Revenue from hosting side events during the conference. Over 500 side events are organized, generating additional fees from event organizers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IVS produces Japan's largest annual startup conference held in Kyoto, combining a main open conference (IVS) at Miyako Messe/ROHM Theatre with an invitation-only executive program (IVS CORE) at Hotel Okura Kyoto. The event connects 13,000+ attendees from 70+ countries — including startups, investors, major corporations, and government stakeholders — through pitch contests (LAUNCHPAD), an exhibition (Startup Market), side events, and AI-enabled networking tools.

Product overview

IVS is a comprehensive startup conference platform that offers multiple distinct products and access tiers for participants. The core offering consists of IVS (the main startup conference at Miyako Messe/ROHM Theatre Kyoto) and IVS CORE (an invitation-only executive area at Hotel Okura Kyoto). These are supported by specialized products including IVS LAUNCHPAD (a flagship pitch contest), IVS Startup Market (exhibition space), SPIKES (student-exclusive zone), IVS Youth (student innovation program), KYOTO ZONE (regional ecosystem showcase), and various networking initiatives like the Networking Area and Side Events. The company operates on a tiered pass system including IVS PASS, IVS PASS Student, CORE PASS, and CORE PASS Startup, each providing different levels of access to the various venues and content areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IVS CORE: An invitation-only, closed conference for key decision-makers in Japan's startup industry. Held at Hotel Okura Kyoto on July 1-2, 2026, with approximately 1,000 attendees. All sessions are strictly off-the-record.
• IVS LAUNCHPAD
• IVS Startup Market
• KYOTO ZONE
• IVS Youth
• SPIKES
• IVS AMA / Black Market

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ exit companies produced through IVS LAUNCHPAD
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 90 EnglishminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for IVS conference, providing English-language services support for international attendees
• Kyoto PrefecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment co-organizer of IVS KYOTO, providing regional support and promoting Kyoto as a startup hub
• Kyoto CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment co-organizer providing venue access and regional promotion support
• Headline JapancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organizer of IVS KYOTO Executive Committee, managing overall conference operations
• Kotoba TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides AI-powered simultaneous interpretation technology enabling real-time translation across languages for international attendees

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Slush: Helsinki-based startup conference with strong founder/investor focus and a notable pitch competition (Slush 100). Comparable to IVS in scale (~10,000+ attendees), Nordic ecosystem origin, and emphasis on early-stage startup-investor matchmaking.
• TechCrunch Disrupt: Flagship startup conference featuring Startup Battlefield pitch competition (analogous to IVS LAUNCHPAD) and Startup Alley exhibition. Comparable to IVS in format, audience, and pitch contest integration, with comparable sponsor tiering.
• Consensus (CoinDesk): Major global Web3/crypto conference. Directly comparable to IVS's CRYPTO ZONE in Web3/blockchain focus, sponsor base, and pitch event integration, though Consensus is dedicated entirely to crypto rather than a dedicated zone within a broader startup event.
• Web Summit: Global technology conference series (Lisbon, Rio, Qatar) attracting tens of thousands of attendees, founders, investors, and media. Closely comparable to IVS as a large-scale multi-tier tech/startup event with sponsor-driven revenue and international speaker lineups.

Broad incumbents

• CES: Largest consumer technology trade show globally, owned and operated by the Consumer Technology Association. Comparable to IVS in exhibition format and tech-startup focus, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader (non-startup) audience.
• Money 20/20: Premier global fintech and payments conference series. Comparable to IVS in finance/investment conference category, audience overlap with IVS's investor segment, and tiered sponsor structure, though with a narrower fintech vertical focus.
• SXSW: Annual Austin-based convergence of technology, film, music, and culture. Comparable to IVS as a large multi-track event with strong sponsor revenue, government/city partnership, and emphasis on serendipitous cross-domain networking.

Emerging players

• Plug and Play: Global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform running demo days and summits. Comparable to IVS in startup-investor-corporate matchmaking and accelerator/pitch competition format (analogous to LAUNCHPAD), with broader accelerator services.
• Startup Grind: Global startup community and conference operator with local chapter model. Comparable to IVS in startup founder/audience focus and event-driven community building, though operates with smaller, more distributed events rather than a single mega-conference.

Regional players

• Tech in Asia: Asia-focused tech media and conference operator running events in Singapore, Jakarta, and other Southeast Asian hubs. Comparable to IVS in regional startup conference focus and Asia-Pacific audience, though geographically concentrated in Southeast Asia rather than Japan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IVS_Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/InfinityVenturesSummit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ivs-jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/ivs_japan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IVS