What is Startup Istanbul?

Startup Istanbul is a startup ecosystem platform connecting founders, investors, and operators — built around discovery, connections, and founder-focused support.

Are you currently organizing events?

Startup Istanbul is best known for major in-person ecosystem events in earlier years. No new events are currently scheduled. Future editions may return and will be announced when ready.

How can I apply with my startup?

You can apply through the application form on the website. Applications are open, but the process is selective — we don't run a rigid cohort. If there's a fit, we follow up for deeper evaluation.

What is StartupIst Ventures Fund I?

StartupIst Ventures Fund I is an early-stage investment fund that invests globally, sector-agnostic, typically writing $50K–$200K tickets. We often co-invest alongside other VCs/investors and prioritize strong founders.

Etohum is a founder-first platform in Türkiye, founded in 2008. It is the broader organization behind Startup Istanbul (especially in its earlier event years).

Who is Burak Büyükdemir?

Burak Büyükdemir is the founder of Etohum and Startup Istanbul, and the founder of StartupIst Ventures Fund I (global early-stage investing).

How do you work with founders today?

We keep applications open for discovery, but we work with founders in a more selective way: open applications, selective depth, founder-specific support, often 1-on-1, and focused on real progress — not a demo-day calendar.

Do you offer sponsorship or partnership opportunities?

Yes. For sponsorships, partnerships, or co-investing inquiries, please contact us via email at startupistanbul.com/contact.

Building a Startup is About Solving Problems

When I dug a little deeper I actually realized the Nigerians problem isn’t actually poor infrastructure, it’s the lack of financial infrastructure and the fact that you can’t move money around. Even though Nigeria is Africa’s richest country, it’s Africa’s most populous country, 80% of Nigerians do not have a bank account, because they don’t have bank accounts there are no assets that are accumulated and people are literally holding onto money. When you’re holding onto money it’s not being leveraged its not being invested within the community, in the society and that’s why Nigeria has poor infrastructure.

So when you’re actually looking at solving a problem, you really have to dig deep and really understand why does that problem actually exist. Because if you’re solving the wrong problem your startup or your company is not going anywhere. So again it really depends on your context. I also learned in writing this book that entrepreneurship is actually not about technology ,it’s also not about techies.

We constantly hear about the need to study the STEM, science,engineering technology and mathematics people should learn how to code and everybody should learn all of these things. I think that is absolutely important. I think that having great engineering talent and technology mind is critical in this day and age.

Everything’s on the Internet, everything is now focused on technology. But when you’re when you’re thinking about your startup and when I looked at the men and women around the world they were also thinking about talent because one of the things that has held up countries outside of the Western world from actually having globally competitive start-ups is the fact that they don’t have skilled management and they don’t know how to build teams and they don’t have the right people in place. And so you can have the best engineers in the world but if you don’t have managers that could incentivize them, look at what their workflow is, if you don’t have people who can go out and market and find new customers, if you don’t have people can go out there and tell your story, Ross talked about emotional experience people want to connect with something not just a product or service.

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