Phoenixi, a Kyoto-based residential incubator for corporate intrapreneurs and social entrepreneurs, held the IVS2026 official side event “Infinity Pasta Night: Pitching Longevity of Life, Planet & Culture” on July 1 at toberu 1, the company’s residential incubation facility. The event attracted more than 50 attendees, exceeding its capacity.
Over 50 Attendees from 18 Cities and Countries Worldwide
The event welcomed over 50 attendees, exceeding maximum capacity. While the largest group came from Tokyo, a diverse crowd of entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, students, and corporate and government representatives gathered from across Japan (Niigata, Kanagawa, Chiba, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka) and around the world, including Germany, the UK, Hungary, Lebanon, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, and the US.
12 Speakers Pitch on the “Longevity” of Health, Environment, and Culture in Two Languages
The event featured a three-part structure: dining, pitching (or watching and asking questions), and networking. Twelve speakers took the stage to deliver three-minute pitches about their businesses or research, all centered around the theme of “Longevity” across health, the environment, and culture. With half of the pitches delivered in Japanese and the other half in English, it was a truly international session.
Voices from Attendees and Staff
Reflecting on the event, attendee Koya Tani (Co-founder and COO of Bedrock Space; student at Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management; Founder of the student organization Mirakoe) commented:
“There were so many cutting-edge businesses and research projects. I was curious about their actual progress, which prompted me to ask questions. I was also glad I could truly enjoy ‘infinite’ pasta.”
Speaking about Phoenixi, attendee Yuzuka Miyase (Dunkit New Business Division; student at Waseda University’s School of International Liberal Studies; Founder of the student organization Stars) noted:
“It’s a highly global environment. I had no idea an incubator like this existed in Kyoto. It would be exciting to collaborate on internationally-focused events in the future.”
Regarding the “Infinity Pasta,” Phoenixi’s Dining and Facility Manager Kazuhide Shirota, who handled the cooking solo, reflected:
“So many people came back for seconds; I think I ended up making about 100 servings in total. I was really grateful that the other staff members took care of serving.”
50% Women, 40% Researchers, and Bilingual Proceedings: Aligning with IVS’s Diversity and Internationalization Goals
Following the previous year, Phoenixi participated in IVS2026 as an official community partner. Given the expectation for partner organizations to “reach out to female entrepreneurs, academics, and international communities,” Phoenixi ensured that 50% of its speakers were women and 40% were researchers. Additionally, in support of IVS’s goal to achieve an international attendee ratio of over 25% (a 5-point increase from the previous year), the event was conducted bilingually in English and Japanese, with live AI-translated subtitles projected during the pitches.
Cultivating New Collaboration Through Food and Dialogue
Phoenixi planned and executed this event as part of its ongoing mission to create spaces where players from industry, government, academia, and finance can intersect through food and dialogue, sparking new businesses and collaborative research.
This page features some of the photos from the event. ➡️ See videos
Opening remarks & Facilitation
- Yutaka Iijima, COO and Executive Director, Phoenixi
Pitches (Phoenixi Fellows), Q&A
- Kentaro Yoshikawa, MD, Kyoto University Hospital (Pediatrics) / Founder & CEO, Famileaf
- Toshiyuki Yamada, Ajinomoto Co Inc
- Yvonne Hung, Founder, CEO & Creative Director, Otelier
- Su (SuKha Never Dies), fashion designer & icon [Instagram] [TikTok]
- Caitlin Puzzar, Founder & CEO, Guardian Inc.
- Hideaki Sato, Ajinomoto Co Inc / Founder & CEO, Nutribase
- Soraya Umewaka, Founder & CEO, MatchHat
- Shigeo Kohigashi, Founder & CEO, Enishia
- Kanon Hagiwara, Founder & CEO, Unwind
- Kazuki Taoka, MD, PhD, The University of Tokyo Hospital (Clinical application for development of therapy for rare disease)
Pitches (except Phoenixi Fellows), Q&A
- Jin Matsumoto, CSO, Humanity Vision Inc.
- Shota Hirano, Food Come, Inc. [Food Come Come]
Networking
Closing remarks
- Yukiko Hashitera, CEO and co-founder, Phoenixi
On-site staff
- Yoshitaka Orita (Photography | Videography)
- Kazuya Goto, MD, PhD
- Akiko Tanaka
- Hiroki Yoshida
- Kaori Tada
- Agnes Pandi
- Brian Roy Tan, PhD
- IO
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About Phoenixi Co Ltd: Phoenixi operates a residential incubation program and a fund for program graduates to foster both business ideas that address social challenges and the entrepreneurial talent behind them. Program participants (Phoenixi Fellows) — including corporate employees, university faculty, students, and entrepreneurs — live for four months at the company’s facility “toberu”, where they engage in daily cross-sector interactions, startup-focused skill training, and personalized mentoring and coaching. Through this process, they develop new businesses that generate both profit and social impact. Founded in 2018 in Kyoto by Yukiko Hashitera, Dr Sachiko Kuno, and Izumi Kobayashi, Phoenixi is built around the concepts of “creating corporate-born ventures” and “sharing unusual time and space.” Since its inception in 2019, the company has supported a total of 13 cohorts and 96 Fellows (44 sponsored Fellows and 52 independent Fellows), with 31% women and 21% international participants.
