International Entrepreneurship Center: Istanbul Project

“WeAre.Istanbul” project, which aims to support turning Istanbul into a center of attraction for international entrepreneurs, has started its activities in February 2022 intending to develop a global business ecosystem focused on technology, creativity, and innovation that is based in Istanbul. Besides, WeAre.Istanbul intends to organize an international entrepreneurship summit, to provide an infrastructure for international entrepreneurs to enter the market in the right place and level, to reach basic business non-core services, and to eliminate all the barriers against starting their business in Istanbul.

Founded by the Istanbul Development Agency and led by Istanbul Beykent University, WeAre.Istanbul project has distinguished partners such as:

·       The Center of Commercialization of Information (BTM),

·       Yıldız Technopark,

·       Atolye Uskudar Innovation Center,

·       Entrepreneurs and Business Mentors Association (TUGIM),

·       Digitalpark Teknokent, Kucukcekmece Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Center (KUGIM),

·       Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD),

·       International Businessmen’s Association (TURKSID)

·       and SYNERGIA Business Development Centre,

which have important roles in the Turkish entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

Hereby, we would like to invite you to be a part of this project and become our project’s selected international partner. As such, we will be able to cooperate in WeAre.Istanbul’s startup accelerator programs, to boost the startups doing business opportunities in Istanbul, to introduce startups to local investors, and to allocate free office, company registration, and other business services to selected startups.

A multi-dimensional action plan will be implemented for the project to achieve the expected results. The main activities are presented under the following headings.

- Establishment of the International Entrepreneurship Center ISTANBUL Promotion Agency

- Establishment of the International Istanbul Entrepreneurship Center. Thanks to this model, an international entrepreneur will be supported by the project stakeholders from the idea stage to the path we call a Pipeline until it scales and grows.

- Providing at least 250 hours of defined mentoring support with at least 20 mentors

- Implementation of an Istanbul-based Startup Acceleration Program, which is also open to online participation from abroad.

- Implementation of the entrepreneur-investor matching program

- Developing 10 different international collaborations

- Establishment of 100 new international enterprises as a company officially in Turkey during the project

- Organization of 10 interviews/panels throughout the project.

- Realization of 15 thematic pieces of training

- Organization of the International Istanbul Entrepreneurship Summit