ー Event Overview ー Earthkey Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Shinnosuke Hayashi) will hold "earthkey pitch × KYOTO CITY OPEN LABO in Higashi Honganji" as an official side event of "IVS," Japan's largest startup conference, on July 2, 2026 (Thu). Following last year's success, this year's event is a special collaboration made possible with the full support of the "General Planning Bureau, Public-Private Partnership Division (KYOTO CITY OPEN LABO)" promoted by Kyoto City (our public partner). We will co-create a project that brings together the next generation of government, metropolitan startups, and major Kyoto corporations on the extraordinary stage of "Higashi Honganji," a symbol of Kyoto's history and tradition. This time, the presentations will focus on challenges for solving local issues in Kyoto City using the innovative business models and technologies of metropolitan startups. Application Those who are not attending IVS2026 can also apply through the link "Apply via Peatix" at the bottom of the page. ■ Background and Objectives of the Event Earthkey Inc. has been holding "earthkey pitch," a pitch event connecting startups with investors and corporations, for approximately 7 years (held weekly for the past 3 years). This time, coinciding with "IVS," when entrepreneurs and investors from all over the country gather in Kyoto, we will promote collaboration in Kyoto based on "KYOTO CITY OPEN LABO," Kyoto City's corporate collaboration mainframe. Our goal is to create opportunities for new encounters and business co-creation among participants by having metropolitan startups, local companies, and government agencies directly interact in Kyoto, where tradition and innovation merge. ■ Event Highlights "Co-creation" of Government × Metropolitan Startups × Kyoto Companies With the cooperation and participation of the Kyoto City Tokyo Office, metropolitan startups will directly propose technological solutions to Kyoto City's local issues. Mr. Ju