Take Off İstanbul

Take Off İstanbul is a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship platform organized as a technology-focused international gathering. Since 2018, the summit has been led by the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation), the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, and the Presidency of Investment and Finance of the Republic of Türkiye. The event serves as a strategic platform that brings together regional entrepreneurial and investment ecosystems in Istanbul.

Organizational Structure

Take Off İstanbul is conducted under a nonprofit structure. The organization systematically creates the conditions for startups to grow, investment networks to expand, and international collaborations to develop. The primary goal of the summit is to connect technology startups at various stages with investors, corporate representatives, and ecosystem stakeholders on a shared platform.

The entrepreneurship programs of the T3 Foundation and the TEKNOFEST framework strengthen the institutional infrastructure of the summit. In recent years, the event has been held at the Istanbul Fair Center. As of 2025, the summit will be held for the eighth time on 10–11 December 2025.

Take Off (Anadolu Agency)

History

Take Off İstanbul began in 2018 as a closed-side event at Istanbul Airport and has since evolved into a large-scale entrepreneurship platform with rapidly increasing international participation. In its inaugural year, it received over 1,000 applications from more than 100 countries, featured 200 startups, and hosted 60 speakers.^【1】

Over the years, the entrepreneurship summit has become a central hub attracting international participation from 80 to over 100 countries and uniting technology startups from diverse fields in Istanbul. Since 2018, hundreds of startups have been provided with acceleration, exposure, and investment opportunities, and multinational participation has continued to expand.

Between 2018 and 2024, Take Off recorded the following application numbers:

• 900+ applications (2021),
• 944 applications (2022),
• 1252 applications (2023),
• 1040+ applications (2024)

Thus, a total of over 1,000 startups have directly benefited from the programs.^【2】

• 2018 Take Off İstanbul: The 2018 Take Off event was held at Istanbul Airport from 20 to 23 September. Over 1,000 applications were received from more than 100 countries, and 200 international startups participated.

• 2019 Take Off İstanbul: The 2019 Take Off İstanbul, held at Atatürk Airport from 16 to 19 September, hosted 200 startups.

• 2020 Take Off İstanbul: The event was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Take Off Stage (Take Off İstanbul)

• 2021 Take Off İstanbul: In line with pandemic conditions, the 2021 Take Off İstanbul was held again at Atatürk Airport from 20 to 22 September. Over 900 startup applications were received from more than 80 countries. Additionally, 156 mentor applications were recorded from over 30 countries. During the event, 99 startups from 33 countries, 46 mentors, and 36 supporting institutions participated in person.

• 2022 Summit: In 2022, Take Off was held simultaneously in Baku and Istanbul. In Istanbul, 68 startups and 23 alumni startups participated. The Istanbul event featured 32 speakers from 18 countries, 61 investors, 32 mentors, and 22 institutions.

The Baku summit was held at Crystal Hall from 26 to 28 May 2022 and included 50 startups.

• 2023 Take Off İstanbul: It received 1,252 applications from 43 countries. 184 international startups participated in the event.

• 2024 Take Off İstanbul: It received over 1,000 applications from 70 countries. 250 startups selected from 23 countries participated. Additionally, 15,000 participants followed the event online.

2025 Take Off Summit

The 2025 summit will feature participation from over 500 startups from 40 countries, more than 250 investors, 80 partner institutions, and 13 sponsoring organizations. The Platinum Sponsors are Aselsan, Google, SB Girişim Yatırımları, Trendyol, and Turkcell. The Gold Sponsors are Ant International and Uber; the Silver Sponsors are Hepsiburada, Monster, and the Türkiye Technology Fund. The Media Sponsors are 2N and TRT.

A total of 20 partner institutions are participating, including Havelsan, Meta, Roketsan, Turkish Aerospace Industries, and the Türkiye Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency.

The summit’s VC Partners consist of 21 institutions, including ACT Venture Partners, Boğaziçi Ventures, Leap, Metis, and Tenity. Additionally, there are a total of 24 ecosystem partners, including KADEM, Teknokent, and Bilişim Vadisi.

International collaborations will play a significant role, with Spain, Bangladesh, North Macedonia, and Uzbekistan establishing country pavilions to represent their respective startup ecosystems. The program includes special sessions such as “Entrepreneurship Event” and “International Investor Meeting” designed to enhance professional interaction among participants.

Take Off (Take Off İstanbul)

New Initiatives

In 2025, the Executive Lounge model will be introduced for the first time. This model aims to facilitate targeted interactions between investors and entrepreneurs. Designed as a dedicated space, it enables growing numbers of participants to conduct more efficient, focused, and collaborative meetings. The structure is based on the Investor Lounge experience introduced in 2024, which served as the central hub for investor engagement. The Investor Lounge is a professional interaction center where investment evaluation processes are accelerated, allowing corporate representatives and fund managers to directly review startups.

Take Off İstanbul (Anadolu Agency)

Program and Content Themes

The summit’s program focuses on current topics in technology and entrepreneurship. Main stage themes include productive artificial intelligence, deep technology, fintech, global investment trends, and sustainability.

On side stages, selected startups present their products to investors. Educational sessions for students and a volunteer model are included in the program to support youth engagement in the technology ecosystem.

Collaborations and Networking Models

The summit provides dedicated spaces for one-on-one meetings. In 2024, 557 scheduled meetings were conducted; in 2023, a total of 1,914 one-on-one meetings took place. These experiences have served as a reference for shaping the 2025 model.

Entrepreneurship events, international investor meetings, and corporate matching programs strengthen the summit’s collaboration-based structure.

Startups can showcase their products in exhibition booths and conduct partnership discussions with institutions. In 2024, the exhibition area covered 9,250 square meters and hosted startup and partner booths.

The official language of the event is English, and AI-supported translation services are provided for multilingual access. Program schedules and event information are accessible via a mobile application.

Take Off (Take Off İstanbul)

Statistics and Impact of the Summit

Total data from 2018 to 2024:

• 935 entrepreneurs,
• Over 550 mentors and investors,
• 192 speakers,
• More than 5,500 one-on-one meetings

have been recorded.^【3】

To date, the summit has facilitated over $1.8 million in awards and investment support.

Key Speakers for 2025

Key speakers at the 2025 summit include Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Director of the Investment Office Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the T3 Foundation Selçuk Bayraktar, AI expert Steve Nouri, Turkcell CEO Dr. Ali Taha Koç, Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol, and Director of the Türkiye Space Agency Yusuf Kıraç, along with senior executives from various technology companies.