Keiretsu Forum Turkey

What Keiretsu Forum Turkey does

Keiretsu Forum Turkey (Keiretsu Forum Türkiye, also referenced historically as Keiretsu Forum Istanbul and legally as Melek Yatırımcı Ağı) is the Istanbul-based Turkish chapter of the global Keiretsu Forum angel investor network, established in 2012 and headquartered at Levazım Mahallesi, Zorlu Center, Teras Evler 210, Beşiktaş, Istanbul. It operates as a private, membership-based angel investor network connecting accredited private equity investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors with early-stage Turkish startups that have typically already received first- or second-round financing and self-funded their seed stage. The core product is a structured deal-flow and screening platform that takes entrepreneurs through online application, pre-screening committee, pitch screening meetings, forum meetings, deep-dive sessions, and due diligence; screened startups then pitch at monthly investor forum meetings.

Underlying technology centers on an Online Application and Screening Platform (k4istanbul.hatcher.com) and the global ProSeeder portal, which allows investor members to view startups from all Keiretsu Forum offices worldwide (53 offices across 4 continents with 3,000+ accredited members). Due diligence is supported by partner law firms GSG Hukuk and Arkan & Ergin JPA International. The organization applies a 'swarm intelligence' (Sürü Zekası) evaluation model in which members with diverse sector expertise collectively assess deals while investment decisions remain individual.

The business model is a non-commission subscription/membership model: individual accredited investors pay membership fees, corporate clients subscribe to the Corporate-Startup Partnership Program (launched 2018), and 100% of investment proceeds flow to portfolio companies rather than the network. Go-to-market is community-led, combining content marketing (website, KEIRETSU BÜLTEN newsletter, Twitter @KeiretsuTurkiye), monthly investor forum meetings (online and in-person), international expo participation (Keiretsu Angel Capital EXPO, G20 YEA), and ecosystem partnerships with Türk Hava Yolları (THY, 2019), AmCham Turkey/ABFT (2015), TBAA, KAGİDER, BTM, İTÜ ARI Teknokent, and İstanbul Kemerburgaz Üniversitesi. Since 2012 the chapter has deployed approximately $6M across ~12 startups in sectors including mobile payments, mobile applications, education, internet, health/pharma, food, and 3D printing, while the global network has invested over $500M in 550+ companies since 2000.

Name

Keiretsu Forum Turkey

Legal name

Keiretsu Forum Turkey

Website

https://keiretsuforum.com.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keiretsu Forum Turkey is the Istanbul chapter of the global Keiretsu Forum angel investor network, operating a membership-based platform that connects accredited investors with screened early-stage Turkish startups via monthly forum meetings, the ProSeeder portal, and a Corporate-Startup Partnership Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investing Network

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emerging Managers / Seeding Platforms (FSAHAKAI), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Angel investor network
• Private equity network
• Startup funding platform
• Venture capital community
• Early-stage investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Sariyer

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Keiretsu Forum operates as a membership organization. Accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors pay membership fees to join the network. Members evaluate startups collectively but make individual investment decisions. The organization does not charge commission on investments made — 100% of investment returns go to the invested companies.
2. Corporate Membership Program: Launched in 2018, the Corporate-Startup Partnership program provides large Turkish holding companies and corporations with access to curated startup relationships and deal flow. Revenue generated through corporate membership subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Keiretsu Forum Turkey operates as a membership-based angel investor network that connects accredited private equity investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors with high-growth potential Turkish startups. Entrepreneurs apply through a structured multi-stage screening process (online application, pre-screening committee, pitch screening, forum meeting, deep-dive sessions, due diligence) before presenting to member investors at monthly forum meetings. Members evaluate opportunities collectively using a 'swarm intelligence' model but make individual investment decisions, with no commissions charged on investments.

Product overview

Keiretsu Forum Turkey is the Turkish chapter of the global Keiretsu Forum angel investor network. The organization operates as a matching platform connecting accredited angel investors with high-growth potential startups through a structured multi-stage process. The core offering consists of the Angel Investor Network (Melek Yatırımcı Ağı), the Entrepreneur Application Process, and monthly Forum Meetings where screened startups present to investors. Additional services include a Corporate-Startup Partnership Program (launched 2018) for Turkish corporations to engage with startups, investor education programs covering Due Diligence and valuation, and access to the ProSeeder portal for viewing global startup opportunities across all 53 Keiretsu Forum offices worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Angel Investor Network (Melek Yatırımcı Ağı) A membership-based network connecting accredited angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate investors with high-growth potential startups in Turkey through structured screening and forum meetings. Members evaluate startups collectively but make individual investment decisions.
• Entrepreneur Application Process (Girişimci Başvuru Süreci)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $500 million invested in 550+ companies since founding in 2000
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• İstanbul Kemerburgaz Üniversitesi (İKBU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2023Keiretsu Forum Melek Yatırımcı Ağı collaborated with Istanbul Kemerburgaz University (İKBU) to organize the 'Benim Fikrim Benim İşim' (My Idea My Business) project competition, supporting university students in developing entrepreneurial skills during their university years.
• Türk Hava Yolları (THY)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2019Keiretsu Forum Turkey and Turkish Airlines signed a global strategic partnership. The partnership aims to enhance the contribution of the Invest on Board initiative to the entrepreneurship ecosystem and connect it to the world through THY's global network.
• BTM Bilgiyi Ticarileştirme MerkeziminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2019Keiretsu Forum Turkey collaborated with BTM (Technology Commercialization Center) to organize the 'BTM Mucitler Sahnesi' (BTM Inventors Stage) where 7 inventor entrepreneurs presented their projects to investors as part of the Mucit Girişimci Programı (Inventor Entrepreneur Program).
• KAGİDER (Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018KAGİDER members met with Keiretsu Forum Turkey General Manager Esra Talu to discuss the importance of angel investing for the country and investment processes.
• AmCham Türkiye / ABFTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2015AmCham Turkey/ABFT became a corporate member of Keiretsu Forum Turkey as of September 2015. The agreement provides strong support for Turkey's entrepreneurship ecosystem through collaboration between the American Chamber of Commerce and the Keiretsu Forum angel network.
• GSG HukukminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 April 2015GSG Hukuk provides legal advisory services to Keiretsu Forum investor members during the due diligence process. The law firm advises on contract preparation and legal status assessment for investment transactions.
• Arkan & Ergin JPA InternationalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 April 2015Arkan & Ergin JPA International provides corporate finance and independent audit services to Keiretsu Forum investor members, including company valuation reports and due diligence support for investment decisions.
• İTÜ ARI TeknokentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2015Keiretsu Forum Istanbul and ITU ARI Technopark collaborated to enable startups supported by the ITU Çekirdek incubation center to present exclusive investment opportunities to Keiretsu Forum members at a special event on March 9, 2015.
• Keiretsu Forum Israel (Tel Aviv)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2015Keiretsu Forum Turkey conducted investor visits to the Tel Aviv office, exploring the Israeli startup ecosystem and enabling cross-border investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum Israel has 450 members who invested $20 million in 24 startups over 3 years with an average deal size of $750,000 and 21 angel investors per startup.
• TBAA Melek Yatırımcılar DerneğicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2015Keiretsu Forum Partner Hulusi Berik was elected as Secretary General of TBAA (Turkish Business Angels Association), which hosts 264 angel investors from 36 countries. Keiretsu Forum Turkey Executive Partner Aslı Işınak Gözören also served on the TBAA Board of Directors.
• UBSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2015UBS collaborated with Keiretsu Forum to organize a 2015 Economic Outlook seminar for investor members. UBS Chief Investment Officer Serhan Gök presented forecasts on emerging markets and Turkey at The Ritz Carlton.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TBAA (Turkish Business Angels Association): TBAA is the umbrella association for Turkish business angels, hosting 264 angel investors from 36 countries. Keiretsu Forum Turkey partners and Executive Partner Hulusi Berik served as TBAA Secretary General, making TBAA the closest domestic peer and competitor for angel network mindshare in Turkey.
• Angel Investment Network: A global online platform connecting startups with angel investors across multiple geographies. It competes with Keiretsu Forum's online deal flow model (ProSeeder portal) by offering searchable, self-serve access to investors rather than invite-only curated forums.
• AngelList: AngelList operates online syndicate and venture platform infrastructure that lets angels discover, evaluate, and back startups digitally. It represents the same disruptive online alternative to traditional invite-only angel networks like Keiretsu Forum.
• Gust: Gust (formerly AngelSoft) provides standardized deal flow management software and a global directory for angel investor networks. It is widely used by angel groups worldwide as the operational backbone, parallel to Keiretsu Forum's proprietary application and screening platform.
• BIC Angel Invest: BIC Angel Invest is a Turkish angel investor network operating in Turkey. It directly competes with Keiretsu Forum Turkey for accredited angel members and for quality Turkish startup applications at the seed and early stages.
• KEIG (Keiretsu Forum Israel / Tel Aviv chapter): The Tel Aviv chapter of Keiretsu Forum with 450 members and $20M deployed across 24 startups. Operates the same swarm-intelligence model as the Turkey chapter and is referenced as a cross-border investment partner, making it the closest intra-network peer.

Regional players

• 212 VC: Istanbul-based early-stage venture fund investing in Turkish and regional startups. It serves an overlapping market of Turkish founders seeking institutional seed/early capital, competing for high-quality deal flow alongside Keiretsu Forum Turkey's angel member base.
• Fongogo: Fongogo is a Turkish crowdfunding and early-stage investment platform serving startups and investors in Turkey. It overlaps with Keiretsu Forum Turkey's startup-investor matching role, though its model is broader retail/micro-investment rather than curated angel-only membership.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator and investor network operating programs across multiple geographies. It overlaps with Keiretsu Forum in providing structured deal flow and investor access, though it focuses more on accelerator cohorts than pure angel screening.

Others

• EU-Startups.com / European Angel Capital Summit community: European ecosystem aggregator and event organizer for early-stage investors and founders, including the European Angel Capital EXPO that Keiretsu Forum Turkey participates in. Comparable as a thematic ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KeiretsuTurkiye
• Facebookfacebook.com/KeiretsuForumIstanbul

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments71 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Keiretsu Forum Turkey