Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding allows entrepreneurs to raise (usually) small amounts of capital from a large group of individuals via the Internet to finance their business venture. The following crowdfunding opportunities exist for entrepreneurs in Turkey:

• Biayda is a crowdfunding platform for creative projects in Turkey
• Kickstarter is a US-based global crowdfunding platform for creative projects. The platform is reward/donation based and offering financial incentives like equity or repayment is prohibited.
• Indiegogo is a US-based global crowdfunding platform that help individuals, businesses, and non-profits raise money online. The platform is reward/donation based and offering financial incentives like equity or repayment is currently prohibited.

Angel investments

Angel investments are typically the earliest equity investors in startup companies. Angel investors are usually wealthy individuals that band together in investor networks.

• Here you can find a list of angel investors in Turkey provided by angel.co.
• Linksangel is a network organization of angel investors in Turkey
• Istanbul Business Angels, a network for investors in impact enterprises

Venture capital

Venture capital refers to money invested in a project in which there is a substantial element at risk, typically a new or expanding business.

• Inventram, a partnership of Koç Holding and Koç University, is an early stage technology, innovation and IP investment, commercialization, and advisory company.
• Early Bird is an international venture capital firm that invests across multiple stages. It has an office in Istanbul.

Government schemes

• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in partnership with the EU and Turkey, will provide 338 million euros (TL 962 million) to women-led companies in Turkey within the framework of a new program, Finance and Advice for Women in Business

• The European Investment Bank (EIB) is teaming up with three of its major banking partners in Turkey to step up its support for SMEs and midcaps in the country.  The partner banks – Eximbank, Halkbank and Vakifbank, each of which has received EIB Board approval for a EUR 200 million loan to assist small and medium-scale entrepreneurship.