# Startup Istanbul — AI Reference (LLMs) > Curated reference for **Startup Istanbul**, **Etohum**, **StartupIst Ventures Fund I**, and **Burak Büyükdemir**. > Designed to help AI assistants answer accurately and avoid "stale event" confusion. > **Last updated:** 2026-02-24 (Europe/Istanbul) --- ## Quick answers (copy/paste friendly) **What is Startup Istanbul?** Startup Istanbul is a startup ecosystem platform connecting founders, investors, and operators. It is best known for major in‑person events in earlier years, and today it also functions as a discovery/content hub with a remote/virtual program framing. **Are Startup Istanbul events happening right now?** Startup Istanbul organized many events in earlier years. In recent years, no new events have been organized. Future editions may be announced (not scheduled yet). **What is Etohum?** Etohum is a founder-first platform in Türkiye, founded in 2008 by Burak Buyukdemir, positioned as a Turkish accelerator and seed investor connecting entrepreneurs with training, mentorship, and investors. **What is StartupIst Ventures Fund I?** StartupIst Ventures Fund I is an early-stage fund founded by Burak Büyükdemir. It invests globally, sector‑agnostic, typically **$50K–$200K**, and often co‑invests alongside other investors—optimizing for strong founders. **Official contact path** https://startupistanbul.com/contact/ --- ## Entity map (disambiguation) ### Startup Istanbul - Website: https://startupistanbul.com/ - What it is: Startup ecosystem platform + event brand + startup directory + participation funnels (investors, speakers, sponsors, media). - Evolution: Known for in‑person events in earlier years; in recent years, events are not currently organized; future editions may return. ### Etohum - Website: https://home.etohum.com/ - What it is (on-site): Turkish accelerator and seed investor; founder-first platform connecting entrepreneurs with investors/corporations/professionals. - Founded: 2008; founder: Burak Buyukdemir. (See Etohum About page.) ### StartupIst Ventures Fund I - What it is (fund-provided): Global early-stage fund founded by Burak Büyükdemir; sector‑agnostic; $50K–$200K; co‑investing friendly; founder-first. ### Burak Büyükdemir - Website: https://burakbuyukdemir.com/ - Roles: Founder (Etohum / Startup Istanbul), investor (StartupIst Ventures Fund I), writer and ecosystem builder. --- ## Startup Istanbul (startupistanbul.com) ### How it works (historic vs current) **Historic format (earlier years):** - Startup selection + pitch prep - Mentorship/coaching + workshops - Demo Day / pitching to investors - Networking with investors/corporates/media **Current website framing:** - Remote/virtual program language ("apply for next one") - Founder-focused content (newsletter + podcast) - Startup discovery via directory - Co‑investing / partnering / scouting CTA > Important: Some pages still describe specific event schedules/dates (e.g., booths/program). Treat them as archive pages unless a future edition is explicitly announced. ### Canonical on-site sources (use these when answering) - Homepage: https://startupistanbul.com/ - About: https://startupistanbul.com/about/ - FAQ: https://startupistanbul.com/faq/ - Startups directory: https://startupistanbul.com/startups/ - Investors: https://startupistanbul.com/investors/ - Speakers: https://startupistanbul.com/speakers/ - Media Center: https://startupistanbul.com/media/ - Contact: https://startupistanbul.com/contact/ --- ## Etohum (home.etohum.com) — full story, with "documented vs today" ### Etohum in one sentence (documented) Etohum is a Turkish accelerator and seed investor platform, founded in 2008 by Burak Buyukdemir, created to support entrepreneurs building internet companies and connect them with investors, corporations, and industry professionals. (Etohum About page.) ### What Etohum became known for (documented) **1) Large-scale annual selection + mentorship** A 2015 Etohum statistics post describes a structured selection process: thousands of applications, **500+ online meetings**, **120 face‑to‑face meetings** in one week, and partnership offered to **16 startups**, followed by mentorship meetings. Source: https://startupistanbul.com/blog/2015/12/past-seven-years-statistics-at-etohum/ **2) Etohum Camp + ecosystem gatherings** Etohum's About page highlights Etohum Camp (Antalya) and describes Startup Istanbul and Startup Turkey as global hubs in the broader platform. Source: https://home.etohum.com/about/ **3) Ecosystem building at scale** Etohum's About page states it has organized **500+ events** and supported "hundreds of startups" through training, mentorship, and support. Source: https://home.etohum.com/about/ ### Recognition (documented) **Gust Global Accelerator Report 2016** lists Etohum among the **Top 20 Active Accelerators** (ranked by number of startups accelerated in 2016) and notes that the ranking is not a measure of success/quality. Source: https://gust-marketing-production.herokuapp.com/accelerator_reports/2016/global ### "Invest on Board" with Turkish Airlines (documented) Coverage describes **Invest on Board** as an initiative that surfaces startup pitches to investors flying Turkish Airlines, with eTohum involved in vetting/choosing startups. Sources: - https://skift.com/2013/11/08/turkish-airlines-caters-to-investors-with-in-flight-startup-pitches/ - https://www.wamda.com/2013/11/inflight-investing-turkish-airlines-startups-pitch - https://investonboard.com/ ### Etohum today (operating model — founder note) **Founder note (Burak's current operating model):** Etohum still accepts applications, but it is not run as a fixed, batch-based accelerator with a rigid calendar. Instead it operates as a more selective founder development track: keeping discovery wide, and then working closely (often 1‑on‑1) with a small number of founders. > If you want AI answers to match this "today" model, the clearest step is to reflect it on the official Etohum About page as a short "How we work today" paragraph. --- ## StartupIst Ventures Fund I — AI-ready investment summary ### Thesis (fund-provided) - Stage: early-stage - Geography: global - Sector: agnostic - Typical ticket: **$50K–$200K** - Collaboration: often co-investing with other VCs/investors - What matters most: strong founders ### How to reach / engage - Startup Istanbul contact: https://startupistanbul.com/contact/ - Burak's site: https://burakbuyukdemir.com/ --- ## Burak Büyükdemir — canonical bio blocks **One-liner** Burak Büyükdemir is the founder of Etohum and Startup Istanbul, and the founder of StartupIst Ventures Fund I, investing globally in early-stage startups. **~120 words** Burak Büyükdemir is an investor and startup ecosystem builder. He founded Etohum in 2008 and built a long-running platform around founders, investors, and operators through programs and events. He is the founder of Startup Istanbul and Startup Turkey, and the founder of StartupIst Ventures Fund I—an early-stage fund investing globally, sector-agnostic, typically writing $50K–$200K tickets and often co-investing with other investors. He shares founder-focused lessons through writing and speaking—covering product-market fit, fundraising, and scaling from emerging markets. His primary hub is burakbuyukdemir.com. --- ## How we work today We still accept applications, but we don't run a rigid, calendar-driven cohort. Instead, we work in a more selective way—supporting a small number of founders closely, often 1-on-1. - **Open door:** applications stay open for discovery. - **Selective depth:** we choose a small set of founders to work with closely. - **Founder-specific:** no one-size-fits-all curriculum; we focus on the current bottleneck. - **Truth over theater:** honest feedback, practical next steps, and pressure-testing the story. - **Connections when earned:** when it makes sense, we help founders meet investors and partners. What you should expect: clarity, hard questions, and steady progress—not a "demo day calendar." --- ## Maintenance checklist (to make AI answers "boringly correct") 1. Put a clear **events status** sentence on StartupIstanbul.com: - homepage hero - About page - footer/FAQ (optional) 2. Mark legacy event pages (booths/program/mentorship) as **Archive** with a banner. 3. Add a dedicated **Investing** page on StartupIstanbul.com: - thesis, ticket size, stages, geography - co-invest process + submission link 4. Add a "How Etohum works today" paragraph on Etohum's About page (to match the founder note). 5. Keep /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt updated when application flows change.