While Türkiye is rapidly rising in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Information Commercialization Center (BTM) is guiding entrepreneurs with its training, mentorship and investment support. BTM, the 3rd best center in the world, has made significant contributions to the start-up market by supporting more than 6 thousand initiatives and more than 10 thousand entrepreneurs so far. Answering our questions about the work of the center and the start-up ecosystem in Türkiye, BTM General Manager Dr. Önder Kul said; “Türkiye, which is the 2nd country in Europe with the highest number of investments at the seed stage, is on its way to becoming a regional entrepreneurship center.”

Türkiye has rapidly risen in the entrepreneurship system, becoming one of the most invested countries in Europe. While notable startups in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital payment systems, health technologies and green transformation compete in the world, the role of institutions supporting this process is increasing. Dr. Önder Kul, General Manager of BTM, which was established by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) to encourage entrepreneurship, shared important data with TWM Magazine.

  • First of all, could you tell us about the BTM structure and what can entrepreneurs access under the BTM roof?

The Information Commercialization Center (BTM) is a start-up center established 8 years ago by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) to support the entrepreneurship ecosystem and promote entrepreneurship. In an area of 3 thousand square meters in Fulya, Istanbul, we offer entrepreneurs, regardless of age and sector, various opportunities such as training, mentoring, 24/7 workspace, investor network and collaborations that they need in the process of commercializing their business ideas completely free of charge. BTM, a subsidiary of ITO with 81 professional committees and more than 810 thousand members, also has a strong investment network. In this way, entrepreneurs can come together with the relevant committees and get feedback from experts in the sector and develop their projects, while these interactions also offer the opportunity to gain customers or investors. We have a mechanism for start-ups at every level, from the idea stage to the scaling stage. Very recently, we were listed as the 3rd best start-up center in the world by UBI Global, a Sweden-based global index based on data from more than 600 incubation and acceleration centers in 90 countries. Recently, we established the Technology Development Center (TEKMER) within BTM. With this step, we want to ensure that approximately 30 companies and 200 entrepreneurs benefit from TEKMER opportunities and that the entrepreneurs trained in TEKMER add value to our ecosystem by playing an active role in local and global markets. We also aim to become the largest TEKMER in Istanbul and then in Türkiye.

“We have supported more than 6 thousand initiatives to date”
  • How many start-ups have come to life under the roof of BTM so far? Are there any examples of BTM-supported start-ups that have achieved success in the international market? If so, what kind of strategy did these projects follow to achieve this success?

As BTM, we have supported more than 6 thousand initiatives and more than 10 thousand entrepreneurs to date. During this period, 135 BTM initiatives were invested in with a valuation of 8 billion 818 million TL. The total sales figure of BTM startups exceeded 1 billion TL. Some of our internationally successful start-ups operate in the fields of artificial intelligence, health technologies, financial technologies and sustainability. These start-ups have grown by developing the right marketing strategies, building strong relationships with investors and creating scalable business models to adapt to global competition. BTM’s programs and international collaborations played a critical role in this process.

“Sustainability and green technologies will become even more important in the coming periods”
  • In which areas do you observe that start-up projects are particularly common in Türkiye?

As in the world, digital payment systems, open banking and blockchain-based initiatives have been increasing rapidly in our country in recent years. On the other hand, we are in a remarkable position in mobile game development worldwide. We can say that startups developing artificial intelligence-based analysis and automation solutions are on the rise, especially in the field of big data processing and personalizing the customer experience. In addition, important startups are emerging in tele-health applications, biotechnology and medical devices. Another important area is sustainability and green technologies. Sustainability and green technologies, which is a global issue, will gain even more importance in the coming periods. The importance of green transformation is clearly emphasized in the 4-year International Direct Investment Strategy (UDY) published by the Turkish Investment Office last year. In this context, the use and development of environmentally friendly technologies is extremely important.

“Angel investor network is on the rise”
  • Angel investors play an important role in helping startups access financing. How strong is the angel investor system in Türkiye? What steps should be taken to accelerate the investment processes of start-ups?

The angel investor network in Türkiye is getting stronger, but there is still room for improvement. As BTM, we broke new ground in Türkiye in this sense and launched the Investor Acceleration Program, where we raised awareness on why to invest in start-ups. Within the scope of the program, various trainings and workshops were organized and the importance of investing in start-ups was explained. After this program, many business people invested in start-ups. Although the number of angel investors is increasing day by day, institutions such as BTM have a lot of work to do in this regard. Our government also has important incentives and support mechanisms in this regard. Support mechanisms such as TÜBİTAK, KOSGEB and private investment networks are among the factors that strengthen the angel investment system.

  • Can you give information about grants and incentives for start-ups in Türkiye? What kind of a path should be followed to benefit from them?

There are many grants and incentive mechanisms for entrepreneurs in Türkiye. TUBITAK 1512 (BIGG) Program, KOSGEB R&D, P&D and innovation supports, as well as various tax incentives by Teknopark. The European Union and the World Bank also provide various funding supports. Entrepreneurs who want to benefit from these supports can easily access the right supports for them in these processes by getting support from institutions such as BTM. With the TEKMER we have established within BTM, we are now taking our existing supports to a different level. We welcome all entrepreneurs who want to benefit from these supports to BTM.

“Türkiye is Europe’s 2nd most invested country at seed stage”
  • Can you give information about the start-up industry in Türkiye? How much economic volume does it have?

The start-up ecosystem in Türkiye has gained great momentum in recent years. Especially when we look between 2020 and 2022, Trendyol and Getir becoming decacorns and Peak Games, Dream Games and Insider becoming unicorns contributed a lot to this process. According to the 2024 Türkiye Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Report prepared by Startups.watch, 1.1 billion dollars was invested in Turkish startups in 469 investment rounds and accordingly, Türkiye ranked 11th in Europe. In 2024, the total number of CVCs increased to 91 and Türkiye was the 2nd most invested country in Europe at the seed stage. Türkiye is therefore on its way to becoming a regional entrepreneurship hub. Istanbul offers an attractive ecosystem for investors and entrepreneurs as it is a bridge between the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and the startups that have achieved success stories in recent years demonstrate the strength of the Turkish startup ecosystem.