IVS2026 LAUNCHPAD: Space Quarters, developing space construction business - Robot System "DAIQ", wins Startup Kyoto International Award #IVS2026

IVS KYOTO Executive Committee (Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City) held "IVS2026 LAUNCHPAD," a pitch event considered a gateway for next-generation entrepreneurs, on July 3 (Fri) as part of "IVS2026." Among the 15 finalists selected from over 500 applications (approximately 20% from overseas), Space Quarters Inc. took home the Startup Kyoto International Award (first place).

As its name suggests, IVS LAUNCHPAD was established with the aspiration to "become a launchpad to support the leap of early-stage startups that have not yet entered the market."

First held in 2007, it will mark its 20th year in 2026. The cumulative number of entries to date exceeds 5,000. Of the companies that have presented in the past, over 60 have achieved exits, and over 100 have raised more than 1 billion yen in funding, achieving rapid growth. Many startups have taken off using IVS LAUNCHPAD as their launchpad. IVS LAUNCHPAD, which has become one of the largest pitch events in Japan in terms of history and scale, is also known as "the gateway for next-generation entrepreneurs."

At IVS2026 LAUNCHPAD, IVS and Kyoto Prefecture collaborated to present the "Startup Kyoto International Award," an award focused on supporting startups that can compete globally. As a prize, 10 million yen was awarded to the winner this year.

This year, over 500 companies (approximately 20% overseas) applied, including those from overseas. Among them, a total of 15 finalists, who advanced through preliminary rounds, presented their products and their passionate vision in 6-minute presentations.

Judges commented, "I participate every year, and it's getting better each year, making it truly difficult to choose a winner," "I felt this was a pitch event where many businesses were sincerely addressing Japan's social issues," and "From SaaS to deep tech, AI, space, defense, and real business, seeing this IVS LAUNCHPAD, I was once again able to realize that the industries symbolizing the trends of the times are reflected as in previous years, and I felt the transition of its history."

The winner was Mr. Munenori Takahashi of Space Quarters Inc.

At the beginning of his presentation, Mr. Takahashi highlighted the challenge in current space construction: completed structures are packed into the nose cone of rockets for launch, making it impossible to build anything larger than the rocket itself. He passionately presented "Robot System "DAIQ"" as a business to solve this problem. He concluded his presentation with a strong message: "Building space from Japan."

Comment from Mr. Munenori Takahashi of Space Quarters Inc.

Thank you very much for this opportunity.

Space Quarters was founded in 2022 and is now in its fourth year. Since its founding, our goal has been to "build large structures in space." At the time, we faced skepticism like, "The concept is interesting, but can it be realized?" However, we have persevered without giving up on our goal. Amidst both excitement and doubt, I am extremely happy that today, for the first time, we were able to convey more of the excitement to everyone.

I believe space construction will be an indispensable technology in future space endeavors, and we will continue to work with respect for Japan's technological capabilities and construction.

Winning Company

Space Quarters Inc.

Space construction business - Robot System "DAIQ"

https://space-quarters.com/

Munenori Takahashi

2nd Place Company

Akari Hosho Inc.

Turning the "anxiety" of single individuals into "peace of mind"! "Akari Hosho," a personal guarantee service operated by lawyers

https://www.akarihosho.jp/

Yuuki Shimizu

3rd Place Company

MUSE Inc.

"Armo," a multi-use robotics platform for retail stores

https://www.muse-gr.com/

Yasutaka Kasagi

4th Place Company

inprog Inc.

"CleanK," a toilet cleaning robot that scrubs even the underside of the rim

https://www.cleank.space/ja/

Naoto Munekiyo

5th Place Company

ZetaX Inc.

Pioneering the future of manufacturing with Edge AI

https://zetax.jp/

Yo Sato and Kyosa Yanagisawa

Audience Award

TAIAN Inc.

Challenging the world in the "celebration" market worth 460 trillion yen with "TAIAN"

https://taian-inc.com/

Mariko Murata

"IVS2026 LAUNCHPAD" Finalists *Titles omitted, listed in order of presentation*

Over 500 companies (approximately 20% overseas) applied for "IVS2026 LAUNCHPAD." Here are the 15 companies selected as finalists.

・UMIAILE Inc.

"UMIAILE," an artificial satellite at altitude 0m

https://umiaile.com/

Ryosuke Itai

・Elith Inc.

A tech company that safely implements AI utilization for businesses with AI security and AI safety

https://www.elith.ai/

Koki Inoue

・RoboTruck Inc.

Unmanned autonomous driving system for trucks

https://robotruck.jp/

Yusuke Haga

・Akari Hosho Inc.

Turning the "anxiety" of single individuals into "peace of mind"! "Akari Hosho," a personal guarantee service operated by lawyers

https://www.akarihosho.jp/

Yuuki Shimizu

・zooba Inc.

"zooba," an IT system AI that strengthens corporate IT departments in Japan

https://www.zooba.ai/

Aya Nawa

・ZetaX Inc.

Pioneering the future of manufacturing with Edge AI

https://zetax.jp/

Yo Sato and Kyosa Yanagisawa

・Ryp Labs

Ryp Labs developed StixFresh, a biomimicry-based food-safe sticker you simply peel and apply to fresh produce to double its shelf life.

https://ryplabs.com/

Moody Soliman

・Tofuchan

Tofuchan is the physical collectible AI companion for kidults.

tofuchan.io

Genya Smagin

・tamateco Inc.

Expanding IP and reaching the world.

Entertainment and shopping for the next generation created by Japan's gacha2 culture.

https://tamate.co/

Ippei Matsui

・HiStranger

HiStranger — building emotional data infrastructure for AI: 94%-accurate emotion recognition from EEG, pulse, facial expression, and eye-tracking, enabling AI agents, robotics, mobility, and healthcare.

http://insightflow-ai.com/

Cammie KIM

・Satelyx

Shared IOD missions that turn space innovations into flight-proven sovereign capabilities, faster, cheaper, and at scale.

https://satelyx.com/

Clement Chen

・Space Quarters Inc.

Space construction business - Robot System "DAIQ"

https://space-quarters.com/

Munenori Takahashi

・MUSE Inc.

"Armo," a multi-use robotics platform for retail stores

https://www.muse-gr.com/

Yasutaka Kasagi

・TAIAN Inc.

Challenging the world in the "celebration" market worth 460 trillion yen with "TAIAN"

https://taian-inc.com/

Mariko Murata

・inprog Inc.

"CleanK," a toilet cleaning robot that scrubs even the underside of the rim

https://www.cleank.space/ja/

Naoto Munekiyo

IVS2026 LAUNCHPAD Judges

・Shintaro Aikawa / Untracked Ventures

・TAEKYUN LIM / Kiwoom Investment

・Takao Ozawa / Boost Capital Inc.

・Masami Katakura / EY ShinNihon LLC

・Cathy Matsui / MPower Partners

・Keisuke Tatsuoka / ALPHA Inc.

・Kotaro Chiba / Chiba Dojo Fund / DRONE FUND

・Yuka Hata / JIC (Japan Innovation Capital)

・Tomoyuki Hirano / Daiwa Securities Co., Ltd.

・Taro Fukuyama / Rice Capital

・Nobuhiro Yagi / Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.

・Sawako Yoshioka / San-in Godo Bank

Sponsors

Overview of IVS2026

IVS is Japan's largest startup conference, launched in 2007. Startups, investors, large corporations, and creators from Japan and abroad gather here. In 2026, it will be held in Kyoto with the theme "Japan is Back."

This year, we have established two new areas: the "IVS" area (Miyakomesse, Rohm Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto City) which is the culmination of IVS2023, IVS2024, and IVS2025 held in Kyoto, and the "IVS CORE" area (Hotel Okura Kyoto), a Reiwa-era invitation-only IVS.

Name: IVS2026

Theme: Japan is Back

Dates: July 1 (Wed) - 3 (Fri), 2026

Venue: Miyakomesse, 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 SNS: https://x.com/IVS_Official

About the IVS KYOTO Executive Committee

Established jointly by Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, and Kyoto City for the Kyoto hosting of IVS, with the aim of further developing the startup ecosystem and promoting regional industries. We will promote the fusion of companies, universities/research institutions, and cultural resources concentrated in Kyoto with startups, leading to the creation of new industries and the emergence of world-class startup companies.

<Constituent Organizations>

Headline Japan Inc., Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City