ISTANBUL – The Yıldız Techno Venture Capital Investment Fund (GSYF), established under the leadership of Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi (YTÜ) Yıldız Teknopark in cooperation with BV Portföy, has officially launched its investment process targeting technology startups.
According to a statement from YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark, the 1 billion Turkish lira fund is preparing to make direct investments in startups with global ambitions, strong scalability potential and well-defined exit strategies.
Having supported the establishment, growth and international expansion of startups to date, YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark is now directly undertaking the financing leg of the ecosystem through Yıldız Techno GSYF and has opened its application process.
The fund will focus on startups operating across a wide range of sectors—from artificial intelligence and fintech to gaming and health technologies—with international growth potential, aiming to provide strong backing to Türkiye’s national technology ecosystem.
In the initial phase, Yıldız Techno GSYF will select technology startups for its portfolio following a rigorous evaluation process. The fund is expected to announce its first investment decisions in the coming period.
Structured as more than just a capital provider, the fund positions itself as a strategic partner contributing to startups’ growth journeys. Through YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark’s offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai and Skopje, portfolio companies will gain access to international markets.
Established for a 10-year term, the fund plans to invest in approximately 20 technology startups during its eight-year investment period. It will primarily target revenue-generating early-stage and growth-stage ventures. The fund’s investment strategy is centered on supporting scalable business models capable of increasing Türkiye’s technology exports.
In addition to financing, startups receiving investment will benefit from mentorship, performance-oriented management support, access to global markets and strategic partnerships.
Among the fund’s performance targets is the creation of at least one Turkish unicorn (Turcorn). Applications can be submitted through the Yıldız Techno GSYF website.
Muhammet Garip, General Manager of YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark, said the launch of the investment process represents a strategic milestone for Türkiye’s technology ecosystem.
“Over the past decade, Türkiye has built a strong entrepreneurial infrastructure. We now have startups producing high-quality ideas, developing products and targeting global markets. However, the real breaking point in technology entrepreneurship is connecting these companies with the right investors at the scaling stage. The launch of Yıldız Techno GSYF represents precisely this critical threshold,” Garip said.
“Until now, as a technopark, we have supported our startups from the idea stage to product development, helped them grow and prepared them for global markets. Now, we are directly taking part in the most strategic phase of this journey—the investment and scaling process. This marks a new phase in the evolution of the technopark model in Türkiye,” he added.
Garip emphasized that real added value in the technology ecosystem is created by companies capable of scaling globally and achieving successful exits, noting that the fund’s launch demonstrates the growing maturity of Türkiye’s ecosystem—not only as a technology producer but also as a structured investor capable of elevating companies to the global stage.
Source: Anadolu Ajansı/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök