GITEX Ai Türkiye to debut in Istanbul next month

GITEX Ai Türkiye will make its first appearance in Istanbul on Sept. 9-10, bringing more than 100 investors from 20 countries together with Türkiye’s startup and technopark ecosystem. Organizers and executives say the event aims to connect capital with industrial AI, fintech, defense tech and other sectors where Türkiye has engineering depth.

Why it matters: - GITEX Ai Türkiye is being positioned as Eurasia’s new digital corridor between global capital and Türkiye’s AI startups. - Organizers say the event is meant to convert investor attention into funding, commercial partnerships and globally scalable companies. - Türkiye’s startup ecosystem is drawing more interest as local funding rises and industrial AI becomes a stronger investment theme.

What happened: - The inaugural GITEX Ai Türkiye will take place Sept. 9-10, 2026, at Istanbul Expo Centre. - The event will bring together 100-plus investors from 20 nations managing US$50 billion in assets. - More than 300 exhibitors are set to participate, including Trendyol. - Erhan AK, CFO at Fark Holding, will speak at the conference in Istanbul next month. - AK will join the panel, “Next growth engines – emerging industries that could define Türkiye’s digital decade.”

The details: - AK said the most compelling opportunities for venture capital are industrial AI, fintech, defense tech, mobility, energy tech and enterprise software. - AK said international investors should focus on sectors where Türkiye combines engineering talent with industrial depth. - AK said startups that can scale across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia are especially attractive. - AK said Türkiye can serve as an innovation base for companies competing globally from day one. - Turkish startups raised $559 million in the first quarter of 2026, more than seven times the amount raised in the same period a year earlier. - Türkiye has produced eight tech unicorns, including Trendyol, which is valued at $16.5 billion. - Fark Holding’s Fark Labs innovation arm has become one of the more active industrial investors in Turkish AI ventures. - Fark Labs teams in the USA, Netherlands, Finland and Portugal are helping local startups scale globally. - YTÜ Yıldız Technopark will showcase its Starboard AI platform, including a Techno-Scouting module that scores portfolio companies against more than 60 parameters. - YTÜ Yıldız Technopark said the system helps investors identify the most investable startups by stage. - YTÜ Yıldız Technopark says it houses 750 companies, more than 14,000 R&D staff, 70 AI-focused companies and 341 active AI projects. - Medeniyet Technopark’s TeknoKöprü Investment Acceleration Programme combines training with direct investor meetings. - Medeniyet Technopark has already run delegation programs to the UK, Qatar, the UAE, Malaysia, Singapore and Morocco. - Antalya Teknokent said joint accelerator programs, stronger ties with international investment networks and easier access for foreign investors are needed to produce more globally competitive tech companies. - Giresun Teknopark said GITEX Ai Türkiye can help startups beyond Türkiye’s largest cities reach international markets and strategic partnerships. - GITEX Ai Türkiye is hosted by the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, also known as Invest in Türkiye. - Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology is the strategic partner. - The event is powered by GITEX and organized by inD, the joint venture between Dubai World Trade Centre and Informa. - Participating tech companies include Google Cloud, HPE, NVIDIA, ASUS, Huawei, Dell Technologies, SAP, TrendAI, Trendyol, Andevos and Halkbank.

Between the lines: - The strongest message from speakers is that Türkiye’s AI opportunity may be in applying AI to existing industrial strengths rather than building consumer apps alone. - That view lines up with the country’s mix of manufacturing depth, engineering talent and a growing base of founders, angels and technoparks. - The event is also being used to signal that Türkiye’s startup market is maturing enough to attract larger international capital and corporate interest. - Gobi Partners Venture Partner Erdem Dereli said Türkiye has a mature engineering and product development culture and a self-sustaining ecosystem of second-generation founders and angel investors.

What’s next: - GITEX Ai Türkiye will use its two-day conference program to connect investors, technoparks, startups and major tech companies. - Organizers and participants expect the meetings to lead to new investments, cross-border partnerships and export growth. - Speakers say the next wave of Turkish tech champions will emerge from AI-powered productivity, industrial innovation and entrepreneurial collaboration.

The bottom line: - GITEX Ai Türkiye is trying to turn Istanbul into a launchpad for Türkiye-built AI companies with global ambitions.