GITEX Ai Türkiye to debut as Eurasia’s digital corridor between global capital and Türkiye’s AI startups

İSTANBUL, TURKEY, August 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ‘The next global tech companies may be built in Türkiye, but designed for the world’ – finance chief at Fark Holding

Global investors seeking the biggest opportunities in Eurasia’s vibrant AI economy should seek sectors that combine engineering talent with industrial depth – areas in which Türkiye excels – the finance chief of one of the country’s largest industrial enterprises said.

Erhan AK, CFO at Fark Holding, said industrial AI, fintech, defence tech, mobility, energy tech, and enterprise software represent the most compelling opportunities for VCs eager to unearth the region’s next tech unicorn, while partnering with local labs and accelerators will help navigate regulatory checks.

“International investors should look beyond consumer applications and focus on sectors where Türkiye combines engineering talent with industrial depth,” said AK, a headline speaker at the inaugural GITEX Ai Türkiye in Istanbul next month, Eurasia’s most global tech and AI investment event.

“Particularly attractive are startups developing solutions that can scale across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Türkiye is an excellent innovation hub, and the strongest companies will use Türkiye as their innovation base while competing globally from day one. The next global technology companies may be built in Türkiye but designed for the world.”

AK’s comments come as Turkish startup funding surges. In the first quarter of 2026, Turkish startups raised $559 million, more than seven times the same period a year earlier. The nation has so far produced eight tech unicorns, including Trendyol, Türkiye’s $16.5 billion e-commerce giant, which is among the 300-plus exhibitors at GITEX Ai Türkiye, from 9-10 September 2026 at Istanbul Expo Centre.

AK will speak on the ‘Next growth engines – emerging industries that could define Türkiye’s digital decade’ panel at GITEX Ai Türkiye’s two-day conference programme. Fark Holding, through its Fark Labs innovation arm has become one of the more active industrial investors in Turkish AI ventures.

“Türkiye’s next success story will be built on AI-powered productivity, industrial innovation and entrepreneurial collaboration,” said AK, adding that its Fark Labs teams in countries such as USA, Netherlands, Finland, and Portugal are helping local startups scale globally. “The next generation of global champions will emerge where industrial expertise meets entrepreneurial innovation.”

“GITEX Ai Türkiye is valuable because it connects capital, talent and industry in one place,” added AK. “If these conversations lead to new investments, commercial collaborations and globally scalable companies, the event will have achieved its purpose.”

Amplifying Türkiye’s powerful technopark pipeline

That capital will meet a startup pipeline built by Türkiye’s massive technopark ecosystem, many of which will exhibit at GITEX AI Türkiye when it debuts next month.


In addition to featuring the world’s tech titans powering the global intelligence economy, the two-day event will also host Türkiye’s dominant innovation hubs, including YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, Medeniyet Technopark, Antalya Teknokent, Giresun Teknopark, ITU ARI Teknokent, Teknopark Ankara and many more.

YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, home to 750 companies, more than 14,000 R&D staff, 70 AI-focused companies and 341 active AI projects, will showcase its Starboard AI platform, including a Techno-Scouting module that scores portfolio companies against more than 60 parameters to help investors identify the most investable startups by stage.

“We view GITEX Ai Türkiye as a global networking and growth platform for our technology companies,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip, Managing Director of YTÜ Yıldız Technopark. “Our Techno-Scouting module scores companies based on over 60 parameters, enabling global investors to quickly identify the most promising start-ups suited to their investment stages.”

Medeniyet Technopark, whose TeknoKöprü Investment Acceleration Programme pairs training with direct investor meetings, has already run delegation programmes to the UK, Qatar, the UAE, Malaysia, Singapore and Morocco to build its startups’ international readiness.

“What Türkiye needs is not more ventures, but ‘deeper’ ventures; not ventures that build AI-powered applications, but ventures that directly produce AI models,” said Ali Ramazan Tak, General Manager, Medeniyet Technopark. “GITEX AI Türkiye will offer opportunities for our entrepreneurs on their journey from the idea stage to global markets, helping them meet international investors, establish cross-border business partnerships, and expand their export channels.”

Antalya Teknokent said GITEX Ai Türkiye’s value lies in concentration. “For Türkiye to produce more globally competitive tech companies, it is essential to expand joint accelerator programs, strengthen connections with international investment networks, and facilitate foreign investors' access to the ecosystem,” said Dr. İbrahim Yavuz, General Manager of Antalya Teknokent. “GITEX Ai Türkiye’s greatest contribution is bringing our startups together with international investors, large-scale corporations, public institutions and technology leaders on a single platform.”

Giresun Teknopark, representing the Black Sea region’s growing digital ecosystem, framed its role as expanding access beyond Türkiye’s largest cities. “As Giresun Teknopark, we act as an accelerator that transforms local talent and potential into global value,” said Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Anıl Kaya, General Manager of Giresun Teknopark. “GITEX Ai Türkiye allows our startups to scale their digital services globally, providing direct access to international markets, investors, and strategic partnerships.”

A shared AI vision backed by investors with US$50 billion AUM

Across both sides of the table, a common theme emerges, where AI’s great Eurasian opportunity lies not in standalone AI products, but in applying AI to sectors where the region already has industrial strength. “AI will not replace industries, it will redefine them,” concluded AK, echoed by Prof. Garip, who added: “AI is no longer merely a supporting tool but a foundational technology reshaping business models.”

GITEX AI Türkiye 2026 will bring that alignment to life when 100-plus investors from 20 nations, managing US$50 billion in assets, meet Türkiye's technopark-incubated startups to propel the next wave of Turkish-built, globally scaled AI champions.

Among these is Erdem Dereli, Venture Partner at Gobi Partners, a Malaysian VC firm that manages US$2 billion in assets. Dereli said Türkiye boasts a highly mature engineering and product development culture: “Türkiye stands out for its technical depth and proven track record of producing mega-unicorns, particularly in gaming and e-commerce. The ecosystem is uniquely self-sustaining; early success stories have created a sophisticated second-generation cohort of founders and angel investors who possess the exact operational blueprint needed to scale startups globally from day one.”

From industrial AI to smart manufacturing: defining Eurasia’s next digital decade

GITEX Ai Türkiye is hosted by the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (Invest in Türkiye) in strategic partnership with Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology. The flagship debut event is powered by GITEX, the world’s largest tech and AI event network, and organised by inD — the joint venture between Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa that organises GITEX globally.

Tech heavyweights spearheading global participation include Google Cloud, HPE & NVIDIA, ASUS, Huawei, Dell Technologies, SAP, and TrendAI, alongside regional powerhouses Trendyol, and Andevos, Türkiye’s leading AI and fintech platform. Halkbank, the nation’s state-owned SME banking champion, is also onboard, backing Eurasia’s tech-driven economic transformation.

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