StartupMarket Senior Manager Bagce said, “Last year, $177 million was invested in startups. Looking at factors such as acquisitions, mergers, share acquisitions, and collaborations, Turkey’s startup ecosystem exceeded $3 billion.”
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Bagce said that people interested in startups can be examined in 3 main groups.
“Senior executives and business people are a very important group. There is a serious curiosity about startups in this group. The second group includes students and new graduates and their interest is also high. Thirdly, white-collar Turks living abroad are very interested in startups.”
Pointing out that the total investment made in startups in the world is $300 billion, Bagce said, “The total investment amount in startups has grown by 4% compared to last year. As Turkey, we have a way to go in this field. According to a survey we conducted, 80% of people want to mentor startups. 90% of the respondents state that they can invest in startups for the next year, even if it is ₺5 thousand. In addition, there is a 7% audience saying ‘I will never invest’.”
“There are companies that started as a startup in Turkey and have become very big today”
Stating that the Capital Markets Board (CMB) has taken an important step by legalizing crowdfunding, Serkan Bagce continued his words as follows:
“We will ensure that people who are considering investing in startups can realize this by providing an environment of trust and informative elements. At this point, there is a need for large corporate collaborations and broad-based informative campaigns. There is a very serious potential in Turkey. There are companies that started as a startup in Turkey and have become very big today. Looking at factors such as acquisitions, mergers, share acquisitions, and collaborations, the startup ecosystem in Turkey exceeded $3 billion. “
Pointing out that digital products are prominent in startups, Bagce said, “In StartupMarket, there are two ways to invest in startups. Relevant people can mentor start-ups or work part-time with their expertise. They can support the startup outside of working hours. On the other hand, we match those who have capital with startups. After receiving our CMB approvals this year, investments can be made in desired startups with credit cards. “
“Startup is an investment tool”
Stating that there are a large number of investors and startups in Turkey, StartupMarket Founding Partner and CEO Bagce said, “For an ecosystem, these should not be counted. There are main problems we have identified in Turkey’s startup ecosystem. Startups cannot reach investors and investors cannot easily reach startups. One of the main problems.
Stating that StartupMarket has nearly 10 thousand members who allow “I am interested in startups, you can contact me”, Bagce said:
“We are a platform that brings startups together with people who want to reach them. A startup is actually an investment tool. Startups are companies that have the potential to rapidly increase their value. Large corporate companies should cooperate with startups. Because startups are very agile. You can make your business cheap, you do not establish an R&D department, and you also facilitate their lives by collaborating with startups. If a budget is allocated to collaborate with startups, we call it an ‘investment’. It can be either a labor investment or a money investment. Some of the companies do not give money, but allow them to use some of their high-value services.”
Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz