Sworkers Appointed COMMUNITY PARTNER for Japan's Largest Startup Conference "IVS2026"

Sworkers Inc. (Read: Suwākāzu, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Riho Hayama, hereinafter Sworkers) is pleased to announce its appointment as a COMMUNITY PARTNER for "IVS2026" (to be held July 1-3, 2026, at Miyako Messe, Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, and other venues), Japan's largest startup conference. During the event, Sworkers will contribute to the expansion of the startup ecosystem over three days through initiatives such as co-hosting an official side event with "Vanta," a global leader in security and compliance automation, speaking on stage at "SPIKES," a festival for students, and moderating at "XDEAL," a conference specializing in M&A.

This initiative embodies Sworkers' mission: "To increase the number of people who challenge themselves in startups." Through "IVS2026," Japan's largest startup conference attracting over 13,000 attendees, as well as the student festival "SPIKES" and the M&A-focused conference "XDEAL" held concurrently, we aim to create opportunities for as many participants as possible to experience startups and take their first step towards a challenge.

About "IVS2026," "SPIKES," and "XDEAL"

Japan's Largest Startup Conference "IVS2026"

IVS is one of Japan's largest international startup conferences, launched in 2007. In 2026, under the theme "Japan is Back," startups, investors, large corporations, and students from Japan and abroad will gather in Kyoto.

Dates: July 1 (Wed) - 3 (Fri), 2026 / Venue: Miyako Messe, Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, and other venues

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

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

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

Student Festival "SPIKES"

"SPIKES" is a "festival for edgy students" held within Miyako Messe during IVS2026. 2026 marks its inaugural year, expecting over 2,000 students to gather over three days. It aims to connect students at the forefront of their fields, such as researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs, and will feature a pitch contest for student entrepreneurs with potential investment opportunities of up to 100 million yen.

SPIKES Official Website: https://spikes.4s.link/

M&A Specialized Conference "XDEAL"

"XDEAL" is an M&A-focused conference for business leaders held during IVS2026. It will focus on M&A for service-based companies and will be held on Friday, July 3, 2026, at Ace Hotel Kyoto, bringing together parties involved in deals ranging from 1 to 10 billion yen.

XDEAL Official Website: https://xdeal.4s.link/

Initiatives at IVS2026

Official Side Event Implementation

Sworkers plans to organize and manage side events connecting startups, VCs, and aspiring entrepreneurs. As part of this, we will co-host an official IVS2026 side event with "Vanta" (https://www.vanta.com/), a global leader in security and compliance automation. This event is a live show that publicly evaluates startups from the perspective of "trustworthiness (security, compliance, governance)." It will focus on global security standards such as SOC2 and ISO27001, which are essential for Japanese startups challenging overseas enterprise markets. Through this initiative, which highlights not only "business strength" but also "trustworthiness for challenging the world," we aim to support the next generation of startups in their global endeavors and foster the momentum for IVS2026's theme, "Japan is Back."

<Event Overview>

Date & Time: July 2, 2026 (Thu), 19:00 - 21:00 (Reception starts at 18:30)

Venue: East Avenue 323 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/hGMSYrXdvUpvEjLx6 )

Organizers: Vanta / Sworkers Inc. (Co-hosted)

Target Audience: VCs, investors, startup executives, entrepreneurs aiming for global expansion

Estimated Attendees: Approx. 100 people

Participation Fee: 2,000 yen

Application Link: https://4s.link/ja/18f692aa-1281-43ca-976e-3977e68ed5bb

Participation in Student Festival "SPIKES" | Sworkers President and Executive Officers to Speak on Panels

Sworkers will participate in stage sessions at "SPIKES," a festival for students held within Miyako Messe during IVS2026. Sworkers members will serve as moderators for two panel sessions featuring leading executives. Both sessions are designed to provide students from across the country with an opportunity to consider "how to choose a company" and "how to build a career from their 20s."

<Session 1 / SP1-1> "Don't Choose a Growing Company." - Two CEOs Who Built 10 Billion Yen in Annual Sales Discuss the Criteria You Should Really Look At.

Two CEOs who achieved annual sales of around 10 billion yen in a short period will speak. They will discuss how to choose a place that truly aligns with one's aspirations, rather than superficial indicators like "a rapidly growing company," and share their "yardstick" for company selection.

Date & Time: July 1, 2026 (Wed), 12:00 - 12:50

Venue: Miyako Messe B1F SPIKES ZONE, Kyoto International Exhibition Hall

Speakers: Masakazu Ishikawa (Representative Director & CEO, Copia Inc.) / Yuki Ejiri (Representative Director & CEO, Dress Code Inc.)

Moderator: Riho Hayama (Representative Director & President, Sworkers Inc.)

<Session 2 / SP2-1> "Overwhelming Ownership Mentality" Creates Your Career. Thinking with Entrepreneurs from Recruit About How to Drive Societal Issues from Your 20s

Two executives who came from Recruit will speak. Through contrasting career paths – one who left Recruit to become an entrepreneur and another who took on management roles within the company – they will discuss how to increase market value in one's 20s and address societal issues.

Date & Time: July 2, 2026 (Thu), 10:30 - 11:20

Venue: Miyako Messe B1F SPIKES ZONE, Kyoto International Exhibition Hall

Speakers: Toshihiro Koike (Representative Director, President & CEO, Cyber Security Cloud Inc.) / Kei Ito (Representative Director & President, Recruit Carsensor Inc.)

Moderator: Yuka Koga (Executive Officer, Sworkers Inc.)

Participation in M&A Specialized Conference "XDEAL"

Sworkers will also participate in "XDEAL," an M&A-focused conference held during IVS2026, where Representative Director and President Riho Hayama will serve as moderator for multiple sessions.

Comment from Sworkers President Hayama

Riho Hayama, Representative Director and President, Sworkers Inc.

I am extremely pleased to participate in IVS2026 as a COMMUNITY PARTNER for the second consecutive year. Since my student days, encounters with startup companies and opportunities for long-term internships greatly broadened my career options and led me to my current entrepreneurial endeavors. This year, I will be involved in a wide range of events, from the student festival "SPIKES" to "XDEAL," where executives discuss M&A and business succession. Whether it's students standing at the threshold of a challenge or executives moving their businesses to the next stage, they are all "challengers" despite their different phases. Our role at Sworkers is to create a space where those who are seriously challenging themselves can connect and inspire each other. Through Sworkers' exhibition and my own participation as a speaker and moderator, I hope to ignite the desire to "try challenging" in as many people as possible.

About Sworkers Inc. (Suwākāzu)

Founded in 2023, Sworkers launched "Sworkers Agent" in FY24, an agency business connecting carefully selected startups with individuals who wish to work and grow within them. In December 2024, we launched "Project:F" (Read: Project Efu), a career support project for women aimed at "increasing the number of women who create rules," and are planning and operating the women entrepreneur incubation program "Female Founders Door" and the large-scale women's career conference "Female Founders Conference" for 1,000 participants. By conveying the excitement of working in startups and the methods for becoming an entrepreneur, we aim to increase the number of "people who challenge themselves in startups."

Regarding Inquiries, etc.

Please direct any inquiries regarding this initiative or our company here.

Sworkers Contact Form

https://sworkers.jp/contact

Sworkers President Hayama's X https://x.com/hayamaritter

Sworkers Magazine, which disseminates information on startup転職 (job changes), can be found here: https://sworkers.jp/magazine

About Sworkers Inc. (Suwākāzu)

・Established: February 2, 2023 ・Representative Director and President: Riho Hayama

・Head Office Location: Chiyoda Platform Square 3F, 3-21 Kanda-Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo ・Business Activities: Recruitment agency specializing in startups, accelerator program specializing in women entrepreneurs, startup conference management ・Company HP: https://sworkers.jp/