• ‘Türkiye is a great market to access the US and Europe,’ says FortyGuard founder Jay Sadiq
• Elyar Akhi of Georgian startup WaiterCall says Türkiye has the region’s ‘brightest’ tech scene

ISTANBUL (AA) – As global competition for technology talent intensifies, Türkiye is emerging as a new magnet for foreign startups, with founders from the US to the Caucasus looking to Istanbul for investment opportunities, world-class talent, and a foothold into global markets.

Long dominated by homegrown entrepreneurs, Türkiye’s startup scene is now drawing international founders who say the country offers something many other ecosystems lack: accessible support networks, an environment where early-stage companies can scale quickly, and the ability to reach global markets.

The trend was on full display at Istanbul Technical University’s Big Bang Startup Challenge this week, which brought together dozens of startups from the US, UAE, Georgia and several neighboring countries.

Atilla Dikbas, a professor and head of the ITU ARI Teknokent technology development zone, said foreign startups were attracted to Türkiye by the high quality of its universities.

“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 told Anadolu.

Dikbas said Türkiye’s ties with the EU, US and parts of Asia also attract founders seeking access to wider commercial networks.

Fakir Huseyin Erdogan, secretary general of the Electricity Distribution Services Association (ELDER), one of the event’s main stakeholders, said global interest reflects how rapidly information and technical capability now circulate across borders.

“We are living in an age where knowledge is becoming globalized and increasingly valuable,” he said. “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 added that foreign firms advancing their technologies while based in Türkiye “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, focusing on the energy sector and the broader tech ecosystem surrounding it.

“We do not just give awards to projects in the energy sector, we also evaluate projects in other sectors that we think will be interesting and contribute to the future of our country,” he said. “For instance, for the last few years, there have been applications of AI in every aspect of our lives.”

‘Türkiye will return your investment’

Among this year’s international participants was FortyGuard, a US-based climate-tech company building high-resolution urban temperature models.

Founder Jay Sadiq said Türkiye stands out as a strategic bridge market.

“We have plans to be everywhere, but Türkiye is a great market to access the US and Europe,” he said. “I hear of Turkish founders building great technology … and they’re very successful in their business.”

Sadiq said the event allowed his team to connect with Turkish startups and ecosystem partners for the first time. “I think that initial exchange is going to be very fruitful in the future,” he added.

“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,” he said.

FortyGuard, backed by Google, will eventually enable Google Maps users to choose cooler walking routes using the company’s temperature modeling, he explained.

Türkiye is ‘the brightest’ in the region

For Elyar Akhi, head of Georgian startup WaiterCall, which develops digital tools to reduce staffing burdens and low profit margins in restaurants and cafes, participating in the event marked a milestone.

“There was never a Georgian company at Big Bang before. We’re very proud to be the first, and very proud to be in the Turkish ecosystem,” he said.

He said the event opened the doors to “valuable networking, potential investments and partnerships.”

Akhi described Türkiye as “the brightest” among regional tech environments, citing its scale, support systems and openness to international teams.

“Türkiye is becoming a new regional center where European and international startups can come, build teams and grow,” he said.