Take Off Istanbul

What Take Off Istanbul does

Take Off Istanbul is a non-profit annual startup summit organized by the Türkiye Teknoloji Takımı Vakfı (T3 Foundation) in cooperation with Turkey's Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Presidential Investment Office. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Istanbul, the platform connects early-stage startups (those that have completed MVP/POC, incorporated, and generated initial revenue or investment) and growth-stage startups (those with $1M-$25M in funding and international operations) with a global bench of venture capital, corporate venture, and angel investors, alongside large corporates, universities, and government institutions.

The core offering is a two-to-three-day physical summit held annually in Istanbul, with a documented 2022 expansion to Baku, Azerbaijan. Functional components include startup booth participation, stage presentation slots, and dedicated investor areas (Prelude and Investor Lounge) that facilitate structured one-on-one meetings — 593 such meetings were conducted at the 2025 edition. The platform runs on a basic event-management infrastructure: a website hub, online registration portal, email newsletter, social media channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube), and a digital report-request workflow. No proprietary technology beyond standard event SaaS tooling is evidenced, and no AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is sponsorship- and partnership-funded, not participant-funded. Attendance is free for all stakeholder groups — startups, investors, corporates, universities, and visitors — with no registration, booth, or meeting fees. Revenue (or more precisely, operating contributions) flows from 99 corporate and institutional partners in 2025, plus in-kind government support, to underwrite an organization of approximately 11 employees supplemented by five named volunteer teams (welcome, stage, media, operations, investor support). The 2025 event facilitated $750,000 in on-site investment into participating startups, and cumulative facilitation across all editions totals $2.5M; these figures represent capital deployed into the startup ecosystem, not Take Off's own finances, which are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Take Off Istanbul

Legal name

Türkiye Teknoloji Takımı Vakfı (T3 Vakfı)

Website

https://takeoffistanbul.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Take Off Istanbul is a non-profit annual startup summit, organized by Turkey's T3 Foundation with government backing, that connects early- and growth-stage startups from 40+ countries with global investors, corporates, and ecosystem partners at a free flagship event in Istanbul.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Summit Events

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAGAK

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYTHAHAMAA

Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Corporate Meetings & Summits

Keywords

• Startup summit
• Entrepreneurship events
• Investor networking
• Venture capital ecosystem
• Corporate innovation partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: Take Off operates as a non-profit event organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation in cooperation with government bodies. Revenue is generated through corporate sponsorship arrangements where partners sponsor the summit in exchange for brand visibility, networking access, and ecosystem positioning. Partners include technology companies, financial institutions, and corporations seeking access to the startup ecosystem.
2. Partner/Sponsor Contributions: Strategic partnerships with corporates, technology companies, universities, and government agencies provide funding and in-kind support. The extensive list of past partners (100+) demonstrates a multi-stakeholder funding model where sponsors gain visibility and access to the startup ecosystem in exchange for their contribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Take Off Istanbul is a non-profit annual startup summit organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Vakfı) in cooperation with Turkey's Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Presidential Investment Office. The summit connects early-stage and growth-stage technology startups with global investors, corporations, and ecosystem leaders through booth showcases, one-on-one investor meetings in dedicated spaces (Prelude and Investor Lounge), stage presentations, and structured networking programs. The event is free for all participants and operates as a comprehensive deal-making and partnership facilitation platform.

Product overview

Take Off Istanbul is a non-profit annual startup summit organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation in cooperation with Turkey's Ministry of Industry and Technology and Presidential Investment Office. The platform connects early-stage and growth-stage technology startups with global investors, corporations, and industry leaders. Key offerings include the main summit event, startup booth participation, one-on-one investor meetings in dedicated spaces (Prelude & Investor Lounge), stage presentations, and strategic partnership facilitation with corporations and public sector entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Take Off Startup Summit Non-profit annual startup summit that connects early-stage and growth-stage technology startups with global investors, corporations, and industry leaders. Provides networking opportunities, one-on-one investor meetings, booth participation, and stage presentation slots. Free for all participants.
• Startup Booth Participation Service for startups to exhibit their products in dedicated booth areas at the summit, showcasing their solutions to thousands of visitors including investors, corporations, and media representatives.
• One-on-One Investor Meetings Facilitated meetings between investors and startups, allowing for focused investment discussions in dedicated spaces like Prelude and Investor Lounge. 593 such meetings were held at the 2025 event.
• Stage Presentations Startup presentation slots on the summit stage to introduce themselves to investors, corporations, and media, with potential for special awards and media visibility.
• Strategic Partnership Facilitation Connecting startups with corporations for partnerships, technology transfer, and pilot project development, as well as collaboration with public and private sector partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• $750,000 investment facilitated at 2025 event alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• T3 Vakfı (Turkish Technology Team Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary organizing foundation for Take Off Istanbul. T3 Vakfı is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering Turkey's technology ecosystem. They serve as the data controller and main operational entity behind the summit, providing institutional infrastructure and ecosystem credibility.
• T.C. Sanayi ve Teknoloji Bakanlığı (Ministry of Industry and Technology of Republic of Türkiye)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry that serves as a key organizing partner. Provides institutional backing, government network access, and legitimacy to the startup ecosystem development mission.
• T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Yatırım Ofisi (Presidential Investment Office of Republic of Türkiye)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body focused on investment promotion that co-organizes the summit. Bridges the gap between government investment initiatives and the startup ecosystem.
• ASELSANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish defense industry giant and past partner. Engages with the startup ecosystem for innovation and technology partnerships.
• AkbankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Turkish private bank and past partner engaging with fintech startups.
• TrendyolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Turkish e-commerce platform and past partner supporting startup ecosystem.
• GoogleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology giant past partner providing startup support and ecosystem engagement.
• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology corporation past partner supporting startup ecosystem with technology resources.
• Türk TelekomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkey's leading telecommunications company past partner in startup ecosystem.
• TURKCELLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Turkish telecom operator past partner for startup ecosystem engagement.
• Turkish AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational airline and past partner supporting the ecosystem with connectivity.
• TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish aerospace manufacturer past partner engaging with aerospace and defense startups.
• İTÜ ARI TeknokentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIstanbul Technical University technology park and past partner.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LEAP: LEAP is a large annual tech and startup conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with strong government backing and a focus on regional and global startups, investors, and corporates. It is a direct regional competitor to Take Off Istanbul for the same Turkish and Middle Eastern startup and investor audiences.
• TechCrunch Disrupt: TechCrunch Disrupt is a flagship startup conference featuring startup battlefield competitions, investor networking, and major tech announcements. It is a direct peer to Take Off Istanbul in serving early-stage and growth-stage startups with curated investor access, though based in San Francisco with a global audience.
• Pioneers Festival: Pioneers Festival (formerly Pioneers.io) is an Austrian-organized annual tech and startup event connecting founders, investors, and corporates in Europe. It is comparable to Take Off Istanbul as a curated startup summit with focused investor-startup matching, though smaller in scale.
• Web Summit: Web Summit is the largest global startup and tech conference, held annually in Lisbon with offshoots in Rio, Vancouver, and other cities. It is a direct peer to Take Off Istanbul as a multi-stakeholder startup summit connecting founders, investors, and corporates, though with a global (not regional) positioning and a paid ticket model.
• GITEX Global: GITEX Global is a major tech and startup event held in Dubai, attracting startups, investors, and corporates from across the region and globally. It is a direct peer to Take Off Istanbul as a multi-stakeholder tech event competing for the same emerging-market startup and investor flows.
• Slush: Slush is a Helsinki-based annual startup and tech event organized by a non-profit, attracting tens of thousands of attendees and thousands of investors and startups. It is highly comparable to Take Off Istanbul as a non-profit, founder-led startup summit with curated investor-startup matching.
• VivaTech: VivaTech is Europe's largest startup and tech event held annually in Paris, connecting startups, investors, and corporates. It is comparable to Take Off Istanbul as a flagship European-aligned startup summit, though with a more commercial / corporate positioning.
• STEP Conference: STEP Conference is a Dubai-based annual event focused on startups, digital, and emerging tech in the Middle East. It is a direct regional peer to Take Off Istanbul, competing for the same Middle East–anchored startup and investor communities.

Others

• TEKNOFEST: TEKNOFEST is Türkiye's flagship aerospace and technology festival organized by T3 Vakfı (the same foundation behind Take Off Istanbul). It is an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, sharing sponsor pools, government backing, and leadership with Take Off.

Broad incumbents

• CES (Consumer Electronics Show): CES is the world's largest annual consumer electronics and technology trade show held in Las Vegas. It is a broader incumbent peer to Take Off Istanbul in the global tech-events category, but operates at vastly larger scale and is not specifically focused on early-stage startup-investor matching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/takeoffistanbul
• YouTubeyoutube.com/TakeOffStartupSummit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/take-off-istanbul
• Instagraminstagram.com/takeoffistanbul

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Take Off Istanbul