Türkiye's established institutions drive startup ecosystem transformation

From Türkiye's century-old financial institutions to its leading technology giants, a broad spectrum of established players, including university technoparks and innovation centers, are running comprehensive programs to strengthen the country's entrepreneurship ecosystem.

This surge of corporate venture support doesn't just provide crucial financial resources; it creates a reciprocal learning environment, injecting the dynamism of young startups into established organizations.

Global VC market

Global venture capital (VC) market data supports the acceleration of this transformation. In the second quarter of 2025, global VC investments totaled $109 billion. Artificial intelligence ventures, in particular, stand out: AI companies attracted $131.5 billion in 2024, accounting for one-third of all VC investments.

In the U.S., AI-focused startups represented 46.4% of total VC deal value and 28.9% of the number of deals in 2024. Overall global VC investments increased from $349.4 billion in 2023 to $368.3 billion in 2024.

Türkiye's startup ecosystem has grown in parallel with these global trends.

In 2024, the nation attracted $1.1 billion through 469 investment deals. Public sector funding backed 57% of investment rounds, while private sector investments reached nearly $1.4 billion.

Excluding investments from the Technological Research Council of Türkiye's (TÜBITAK) BiGG Fund, the AI sector led the way, followed by cloud-based software services, financial technology, or fintech, and the gaming sectors. Five new corporate venture capital (CVC) firms were founded in Türkiye in 2024, bringing the total number to 91.

These corporate supports are enabling Turkish technology ventures to operate across a wide geography, stretching from the U.S. to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Market experts anticipated a resurgence in large deals in 2025 as macroeconomic conditions improve and certain global uncertainties