How Turkish startups access capital — from KOSGEB and TÜBİTAK to venture capital and the Istanbul startup ecosystem.
Turkey has a growing startup ecosystem, with Istanbul emerging as a significant regional tech hub. The country's young, tech-savvy population, strategic location between Europe and Asia, and improving government support programs are attracting increasing venture capital attention.
KOSGEB (Küçük ve Orta Ölçekli İşletmeleri Geliştirme ve Destekleme İdaresi Başkanlığı) is Turkey's primary government agency for SME and startup support, providing grants, subsidised loans, and advisory services. KOSGEB's programs include the New Entrepreneur Support (Yeni Girişimci Desteği), which provides grants to first-time entrepreneurs, and the R&D and Innovation Support program.
TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) provides significant funding for R&D and innovation projects through its 1507 (SME R&D Start-Up Support) and 1512 (BİGG — Entrepreneurship Support) programs. TÜBİTAK funding is highly competitive but can provide substantial non-dilutive capital for technology startups.
Turkey's VC market includes funds such as 212, Revo Capital, Earlybird Digital East, and Aslanoba Capital. International funds including Tiger Global and SoftBank have also invested in Turkish companies. Istanbul's startup ecosystem is concentrated in the Levent and Ma tarşı neighbourhoods, with a growing community of founders, investors, and mentors.
Turkey's accelerator ecosystem includes programs such as 500 Startups Istanbul, Startupbootcamp Istanbul, and TTGV (Technology Development Foundation of Turkey). The government's TEKMER technology development centres provide incubation and R&D support to technology startups across Turkey's major cities.
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