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Artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality technologies started the transformation process in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The investments made by startups powered by advanced technology and innovation reached $1.5 billion in 2021. The transformation experienced accelerated the access of early-stage technology investments to finance. Mutual funds took action to solve the capital needs of technology-based startups in Turkey.

*** This release is originally published in Turkish.
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ISTANBUL (TR) - The pandemic has created an investment climate full of opportunities in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to the Turkey Startup Ecosystem Investment Report prepared by Startup Centrum, investments by startups in 2021 increased by 9% compared to the previous year and reached 1.5 billion dollars. While the amount of investment made per venture reached 4.8 million dollars, 323 startups received investments in 345 investment rounds throughout the year. While 45 foreign investors invested in startups, the total number of investors reached a thousand. Stating that the transformation in the entrepreneurial ecosystem has facilitated the access of early-stage technology investments to finance, Arda Askın, Managing Director of StartersHub, said, “Global connections, technology-based talent pool and the recent increase in company acquisitions have brought dynamism to the ecosystem. The increase in early-stage innovative technology investment funding, powered by advanced technology and innovation, also brought the ecosystem to the global league. We, as StartersHub, have provided 1 million dollars in funding for 13 early stage technology investments, 4 of which are from abroad, in the last 1 year.”

Partnering with entrepreneurs

Stating that they do not only invest in early stage companies, but also work as their partners, Arda Askın said, “The development in artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality technologies has started the transformation process in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Technology-based entrepreneurship models, where speed and personalization factors come to the fore, are expanding their place in the ecosystem. Mutual funds also mobilized to solve the capital needs of technology-based enterprises in Turkey. The Tech-InvesTR Venture Capital Support Program carried out by TUBITAK under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has also accelerated this process.

Innovative initiatives guide investments

Arda Askın, Managing Director of StartersHub, made the following assessment regarding their 2021 investments: “Lumnion, which produces machine learning and artificial intelligence-based technological solutions for the insurance industry, Houston Bionics, which carries the treatment of neurological patients to the home environment, Firstbase, which supports more than 7 thousand companies from 170 countries to open a company in the USA. , live broadcast advertising technology platform Livad, biotechnology startup Genz, Tridi innovative startups providing 3D printing services took part in our 2021 investments. We are shaping the future of the ecosystem by funding SaaS platforms such as Workiom, which provides companies with CRM, sales management, task and project management, and Wisboo, which develops digital education portals.”

“We will accelerate the digitalization process of SMEs”

Arda Askın also shared the following information about the startups they invested in last year: “Artificial intelligence-based Tridi platform, which digitizes the production and supply chain, Delivers.ai, which makes contactless food and grocery shopping with electric autonomous robots, microorganism-based, natural for the food industry. and Biftek.co, which produces a cost-effective growth environment support, are just a few of the extraordinary initiatives we fund... We will accelerate the digitization process of We will also differentiate the customer experience with PulpoAR, which develops virtual trial technology for the retail and e-commerce sectors by using artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies.”

Invested more than $4.8 million in 7 years

Stating that they have invested more than $4.8 million in domestic and international technology-based startups since 2015, StartersHub Managing Director Arda Askin said, “As the fund that provides the most support to early-stage technology startups, we establish solution partnerships with entrepreneurs focused on scalability. We make all the initiatives we fund, especially technology-based innovative initiatives, a part of our proactive family. In 2021, we funded and acquired prominent technology-based initiatives in the technology, insurance, health, finance and food sectors. 2022 will be a period in which we accelerate our investments in this direction”.