As one of the flagship events of Türkiye’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, Global Expansion Day took place earlier this month under Garanti BBVA’s sponsorship. This year’s edition stood out for its broader international footprint, with official delegations and innovation-focused business development organizations from 15 countries in attendance. The event gave entrepreneurs direct access to an expanded global network, helping them forge meaningful cross-border connections.
Delegations from Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore were joined by prominent organizations including Techstars, GITEXS, Sistem Global, IGNITERS Tech Law, Garanti BBVA Partners, GIRVAK, and La French Tech. With this lineup, Global Expansion Day further strengthened its position as one of the region’s most effective platforms for boosting the international growth of Türkiye-based scale-ups.
The agenda featured opening remarks by Garanti BBVA Executive Vice President Ceren Acer Kezik, followed by contributions from Techstars MEA & APAC Partnerships Director Steven Kinvi, Prof. Canan Dağdeviren of MIT Media Lab, and other prominent figures from the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Discussions focused on global scaling strategies, innovation-led growth, and the role of strong international networks in helping startups compete globally.
An entrepreneurship journey spanning 20 years
According to Acer Kezik, Garanti BBVA views entrepreneurship not only as a driver of economic growth but also as a force for cultural transformation. She pointed to the bank’s nearly 20-year track record of supporting entrepreneurs from the idea stage through to global expansion, and said Global Expansion Day is designed to bring founders together with the right investors and strategic partners to support their international growth: “Our goal is to build the right connections to take entrepreneurs from the local market to the global stage.”
The executive also noted that Garanti BBVA’s entrepreneurship strategy, which began with a focus on women entrepreneurs, has since expanded to include technology-driven scaleups. To date, the bank has supported close to 60 startups, with total investment volumes approaching $40 million, while its partnership with Techstars has helped connect Turkish entrepreneurs with global networks.
Now in its second year, Global Expansion Day further boosted the international visibility of Türkiye’s startup ecosystem. As part of the event, entrepreneurs took part in a structured B2B matchmaking program, with 24 selected scale-ups holding one-on-one meetings with investors and country representatives across sectors including artificial intelligence, generative AI, sustainability, fintech, marketing technologies, and cybersecurity.