At the IVS2026 session "Government as a Catalyst: Building Next-Generation Industries Through Public Demand"—held under the event’s banner theme of "Japan’s Back"—industry leaders and policymakers gathered to outline a radical paradigm shift in Japan’s industrial and startup strategy. The panel brought together a prominent lineup of speakers: Hiroshi Ishikawa, Director, Innovation and New Business Promotion Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Kazuhiko Chu

In an era where frontier artificial intelligence models and cloud architectures are no longer just drivers of corporate efficiency but critical instruments of national security, Japan is executing a quiet but ambitious revolution. At the recent IVS2026 panel titled "Domestic Cloud and AI as National Infrastructure — Sovereign Digital Foundations and Startups," key leaders from Japan’s public sector, infrastructure giants, and deep-tech startups converged to outline the nation

The macroeconomic shifts of the past three years have fundamentally rewritten the playbook for late-stage startups. In a candid panel discussion at IVS2026, startup CFOs and a crossover investor pulled back the curtain on the intense, often painful, decisions required to navigate today’s capital markets. The panel was moderated by Hirohiro Maekawa, Representative Director and Chief Contents Director of Funds Startups, and featured: Satoshi Yamada, CFO of 10X, Inc., a retail-t

Japan’s startup-finance market is broadening beyond traditional venture equity, but significant gaps remain between late-stage private funding, IPOs, and sustained growth as a listed company. At the IVS2026 panel, "Rethinking the New Standard of Startup Finance," industry pioneers representing commercial banking, private placements, corporate investment, and public asset management convened to dissect the structural issues hindering Japan's startup ecosystem and map out a mor

Introduction At the recent "AI Strategy for Business Development" panel discussion, industry leaders gathered to share raw, unvarnished insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping corporate strategy, product design, and organizational culture. Moderated by Ohno-san, AI Strategy Advisor at DMM.com, the panel brought together diverse perspectives from high-growth technology companies and modernized legacy sectors: Kawahara-san, Board Director at Information Strategy

At the recent IVS2026, a landmark panel discussion brought together senior defense officials and pioneering deep-tech representatives. The session highlighted a dramatic shift in Japan’s national security paradigm: a rapidly strengthening partnership between the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the startup ecosystem. Moderated by Mr. Iwasaki, the panel featured Mr. Kaida, Director of the Technology Strategy Section at the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), alongs

Japan is currently facing an unprecedented demographic shift, often depicted in the media as an impending economic and social crisis. With a shrinking workforce and a rapidly growing elderly population, the sustainability of the nation's healthcare and social security systems is frequently called into question. However, a panel of pioneering entrepreneurs and clinical leaders argues that this demographic challenge is actually the gateway to a massive global business opportuni

Japan possesses some of the most advanced scientific research in the world, yet it has historically struggled to translate this academic brilliance into globally dominant biotechnology giants. To understand this paradox and explore the winds of change sweeping the sector, a high-profile panel of industry leaders recently convened to discuss Japan's growth strategies. The discussion featured Jun Hashimoto, Partner at venture capital firm AN Venture Partners; Mr. Shino from the

The "leapfrog" growth model has matured into a definitive economic mechanism, allowing emerging markets to bypass legacy Western structures in favor of decentralized energy, digital consumption, and social-trust finance. As traditional global systems face stagnation, India and Africa have emerged as the primary frontiers for this structural reconfiguration. By integrating real-time digital rails with a massive, youth-led demographic shift, these regions are no longer merely c