The Embassy of Finland in Ankara with Startup Istanbul are bringing together Turkish and Finnish investors and startup ecosystems at Maria 01 in Helsinki on November 29, 2023 at 10:00 - 13:00. The event aims to create an environment conducive to forging partnerships and establishing a valuable network of Turkish and Finnish investors, innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups. By focusing on fostering collaboration, promoting knowledge exchange, and exploring investment opportunities, the event serves as a stepping stone for the further development and growth of the Turkish and Finnish startup ecosystems.
Finnish-Turkish Synergy: Bridging Innovation and Investment
10:00 - 10:30 | The Registration Saga
- Sign-in and start networking
10:30 - 11:00 | 'Kahvi & Çay': The Networking Blend
- A blend of Turkish tea and Finnish coffee to kickstart conversations and connections
11:00 - 11:10 | The Curtain Raiser
- Joona Selin, Commercial Counsellor @ Embassy of Finland in Ankara
- Burak Büyükdemir, Founder @ Startup Istanbul
- Annica Sigfrids, Community Manager @ Maria 01
11:10 - 11:15 | The Visionary Outlook
- Halil Kulluk, Chairman @ DEİK Türkiye-Finland Business Council
- Opening speech to set the stage
11:15 - 12:00 | The Icebreaker Panel: ‘From Sauna to Bazaar’
- Moderator: Ozan Sönmez, Founder @ YellowX
- Petri Laine, Partner @ Innovestor Ventures
- Terhi Vapola, Founder & Managing Partner @ Greencode Ventures
- Enis Hulli, General Partner, Istanbul @ 500 Global
The panel aims to discuss the synergy between Finnish innovation and Turkish entrepreneurship.
12:00 - 12:45 | ‘Simit & Salmon’: The Fusion Networking Lunch
- Snacks that represent the best of both culinary worlds and foster further networking
13:00 | 'Näkemiin & Hoşça kal' (Goodbye)
- End of Program: A token to remember the day by, handed out to all attendees
About Finnish startup ecosystem (https://dealroom.co/blog/finland-startup-ecosystem)
Finnish startups raised a total of €2B in 2021, making it the highest annual amount on record with foreign venture capital investors well-represented in the numbers. Finland’s success story in becoming a highly industrialized, knowledge-based, and innovative economy is based on free trade and openness to investment in the globalized economy. As a result, the Finnish business climate is very international and attractive to foreign investment. In fact, 46.6% of VC investment in Finnish startups in 2021 came from outside Europe.
Consistently ranked among leaders in various international comparisons, Finland offers a business environment with a uniquely high level of stability, continuity, and predictability. Over 3,821 startups and scaleups call Finland home in 2022, and together they are now worth €48.2b in combined enterprise value. More than 1,300 corporates and 1,087 investors add to the ecosystem’s strength and prosperity.
About Turkish startup ecosystem (https://www.invest.gov.tr/en/library/publications/lists/investpublications/the-state-of-turkish-startup-ecosystem.pdf)
A fully functional startup ecosystem in Türkiye, supported by acceleration programs, incubation centers, angel networks and VCs, has been in place as far back as the early 2010s. At this juncture, startups began to receive investments, local champions emerged, and newly established local VCs started to invest for the first time.
As of today, Türkiye is one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the MENA region with 3000+ startups and 6 unicorns. The ecosystem is valued at USD 23 billion (May 2023) and raised €1.6B in 2022, with 70% of VC investment coming from foreign investors.
About Maria 01 (https://maria.io/about/)
Maria 01 is the leading startup campus in the Nordics. We provide the most thriving environment for ambitious tech startups, venture capitalists, and large enterprises in the tech community to help each other succeed.
Maria 01’s vision is to be the most impactful startup campus in Europe. We want all startups in Finland to have a place where they can dream, try new ideas, sometimes fail, but eventually start again and find their way to growth and success.