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Türkiye is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for foreign startups as founders from the US, the Caucasus and neighboring regions turn to Istanbul for talent, investment opportunities and access to global markets.
The shift was evident at Istanbul Technical University’s Big Bang Startup Challenge, which hosted dozens of international startups and showcased the country’s expanding innovation ecosystem.
Atilla Dikbas, head of ITU ARI Teknokent, said foreign startups are drawn by the strength of Türkiye’s universities and collaboration opportunities with Europe.
“We have observed that foreigners can move much more easily and progress more with our students, especially thanks to the cooperation we have established with the Netherlands, France and England,” he said.
Türkiye’s ties with the EU, U.S. and parts of Asia further support startups seeking broader commercial links.
Fakir Huseyin Erdogan, secretary general of the Electricity Distribution Services Association (ELDER), said international interest reflects the growing global value of technological capability.
“In such an era, the interest shown by foreign investors and entrepreneurs who have sensed the energy here can only be seen as a competitive element for us,” he said, adding that their presence “demonstrates the magnitude of the synergy the country has created.”
ELDER recently awarded around $60,000 to startups and allocated $70,000 in prizes for Big Bang competitors.
Among the participants was FortyGuard, a U.S.-based climate-tech startup developing high-resolution urban temperature models.
Founder Jay Sadiq said Türkiye serves as a strategic gateway.
“Türkiye is a great market to access the U.S. and Europe,” he said. “If you’re serious about investing in Türkiye, Türkiye will return your investment because it is a huge place, and there are a lot of opportunities.”
FortyGuard, backed by Google, aims to eventually integrate temperature-based route options into Google Maps.
Elyar Akhi, founder of Georgian startup WaiterCall, said participating in the event was a milestone, noting that no Georgian company had previously taken part.
“We’re very proud to be the first, and very proud to be in the Turkish ecosystem,” he said.
Akhi described Türkiye as “the brightest” tech hub in the region, praising its scale, support structure and openness to international founders.
“Türkiye is becoming a new regional center where European and international startups can come, build teams and grow,” he said.
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