On January 7, a joint summit entitled “Invest in Turkish Startups" was organized by Startupfon in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Investment Office, the Technology Development Zone, and the Entertech Technopark. The event brought together startups and investors from the UK and Türkiye.
At the opening session of the summit, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology M. Fatih Kacır and the Head of Overseas Activities Department of the Investment Office Furkan Karayaka delivered speeches.
“We have implemented the Technology and Innovation Fund, Informatics Valley Venture Capital Fund, and İSTKA Regional Venture Capital Fund projects to strengthen the venture capitals," Deputy Minister Kacır said in his opening speech.
During his speech, Furkan Karayaka also gave an overview of Investment Office's activities and explained investment opportunities in Türkiye's rapidly growing entrepreneurship ecosystem. “We got very good news in 2020, especially on technology initiatives and financial investments," said Karayaka, emphasizing the utmost importance that the Investment Office attaches to financial and technology investments.
“Game developer Peak became Türkiye's first unicorn with a USD 1.8 billion valuation in June. The company's investors transferred their shares to the US gaming giant Zynga with a very successful exit. Share sales of one of the luxury shopping malls of Türkiye, İstinye Park, and Borsa İstanbul were realized to Qatar Investment Authority," Karayaka added. “At the Investment Office, we attach importance to attracting financial investments and venture capital investments to our country and to introducing Türkiye's investment environment to all international investors, especially our valued expatriates," he concluded.
During the summit, Investment Office Head of Financial Investments Department Ahmet Cüneyt Selçuk also delivered a speech entitled “Early Stage Investment Ecosystem in Türkiye." “Türkiye's young population and talent pool located in the1st league in Europe with a volume of USD 105 million thanks to the support provided to early-stage entrepreneurs in 2019." Selçuk said.