Startups within the Bilgiyi Ticarileştirme Merkezi (BTM) attracted 11 million dollars in investment during the first six months of the year, according to Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) and BTM.
During this same first half-year period, BTM supported a total of 851 startups and 983 entrepreneurs. Since its inception, the number of BTM startups that have received investment has reached 143.
Total investment received by BTM startups over 10 years
Over a 10-year period, BTM startups have received more than 66 million dollars in total investment, while their total valuation has exceeded 560 million dollars. The current portfolio size of BTM has reached 2.1 billion dollars.
Global presence and regional markets
BTM maintains offices in London and Dubai, and has established a structure in Sarajevo. The organization is also a consortium partner of the BİGG Cube Program.
The Early Entrepreneur Development (EGG) Program is conducted under the leadership of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) in partnership with the TOBB Istanbul Women Entrepreneurs Board (İKGK) and BTM. This program is implemented with support from universities, technopark stakeholders, and the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education.
Regarding global market trends, Şekib Avdagiç stated that the United States is prominent for gaming, SaaS, and AI startups. He noted that the United Kingdom and European markets show strong interest in B2B software, health, and industrial technologies.
Additionally, Avdagiç stated that the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar show strong interest in FinTech, retail, construction technologies, and AI solutions. In the first half of 2026, the most investment rounds in Turkey were carried out in AI startups.
Avdagiç stated BTM became the world's 3rd best startup center.
