TRVC18: A. Burak Dağlıoğlu on Attracting Global Investment to the Turkish Startup Ecosystem

Discover how Türkiye is attracting globalinvestment into its startup ecosystem. In this TRVC episode, A. BurakDağlıoğlu, President of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency ofthe Republic of Türkiye, also known as Invest in Türkiye, shares insights onventure capital, foreign direct investment (FDI), and why Türkiye is becoming ahub for tech startups and regional champions.  We cover the journey of the Investment andFinance Office, its role in attracting international capital, and how publicpolicy, sovereign wealth funds, and development banks are shaping theecosystem. Dağlıoğlu shares insights on Türkiye’s unique advantages—talent,demographics, geography—and explains why the focus is shifting from countingunicorns to building regional champions. If you’re a founder, VC, or investorcurious about opportunities in Türkiye, this is a must-listen episode packedwith data, strategy, and vision. 📌 Chapters00:00 – Title & intro00:00:06 – Welcome & guest intro (A. BurakDağlıoğlu)00:00:29 – Career path to the Presidency00:01:13 – What the Investment &Finance Office does00:02:04 – Global footprint & network(US, Europe, Gulf, Asia)00:03:23 – FDI trends & the shift totech00:04:11 – Roadshows & investoroutreach (since 2015)00:05:40 – Funding growth: $100M → $5B00:06:49 – Why Türkiye is attractive:talent, scale, geography00:07:00 – Key sectors: AI, SaaS,FinTech, HealthTech & more00:10:21 – Policy & incentives:Technoparks, R&D zones, grants00:12:08 – Challenges at Series A+ &exits00:16:09 – Regional champions vs.unicorns00:22:01 – Wealth Fund & DevelopmentFund (TTF, BIGG)00:28:12 – Diaspora & dual-hubstrategy00:29:58 – Alternative markets: Africa& Central Asia00:31:45 – Advice for internationalinvestors (engage, co-invest)00:34:45 – Reasons for optimism: youth& mindset00:37:30 – Closing & thanksAbout TRVCTRVC – The Turkish VC Podcast exploresTürkiye’s venture capital ecosystem through conversations with founders,investors, and ecosystem leaders. Hosted by Yunus Çelebiler, the podcast bringsglobal perspectives to one of the most dynamic emerging markets.