Boğaziçi Ventures Social Impact Report Published
Turkey’s innovative venture capital company, Boğaziçi Ventures, invested in a total of 21 technology ventures in 2022 and published its regular social impact measurement report in line with its sustainability strategy.
Founded in 2015 by technology entrepreneurs, Boğaziçi Ventures is a leading alternative investment company focused on establishing and managing funds that invest in technology companies across different verticals and geographies, while creating high-level added value for the start-ups it invests in. Adopting the sustainability principle of “growth through value,” Boğaziçi Ventures has been reporting the outcomes of its sustainability and social impact efforts since 2020.
With an awareness of sustainability’s impact on the entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem, Boğaziçi Ventures integrates ESG management into all its business processes in order to assess social and environmental impacts and strengthen governance practices. Beyond merely providing economic support to its portfolio companies, Boğaziçi Ventures also offers continuous support during their growth stages to ensure long-term success. With its investment vision defined as “disruptive innovation,” the company invests in innovative and creative technology projects for a sustainable world, regarding its sustainability vision as an extension of this approach. In line with its investment strategy and sustainable growth mission, Boğaziçi Ventures emphasizes passing on its sustainability and social impact vision to its growth-stage portfolio companies.
In its 2023 Social Impact Report, presented at an investor meeting, Boğaziçi Ventures and its affiliates transparently shared their work and the value created based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which member countries aim to achieve by 2030. Highlighting that the company manages its investment cycle in line with ESG principles to achieve its economic growth targets, Boğaziçi Ventures CEO Barış Özistek evaluated 2022 with the following statement:
“From combating climate change to fostering the development of our internal and external stakeholders, and from gender equality to diversity and equal opportunity, we strive to create value for our ecosystem and stakeholders while staying committed to our sustainability strategy. In particular, the issue of social impact, which is not yet prioritized at a high level in our country’s ecosystem, is one of the most important topics for the healthy growth and development of Turkey’s start-up ecosystem. We not only follow international best practices closely but also internalize these developments and work to raise awareness among our stakeholders.”
According to the report, in 2022 Boğaziçi Ventures provided 340 hours of mentorship to portfolio companies, while enabling an average of 47 business connections. The total customer base of its portfolio companies grew by 206%, and team sizes increased by 35%. More than 18% of portfolio companies expanded into international markets—ranging from the UK and Romania to the US and African countries—within just a few months of Boğaziçi Ventures’ growth investments.
After conducting a stakeholder prioritization study in 2022, Boğaziçi Ventures allocated 200 million TL in 2023 for new investments and follow-on funding for its portfolio companies. The company continues to expand its impact throughout 2023.
About Boğaziçi Ventures
Boğaziçi Ventures is a leading alternative investment company focused on establishing and managing funds that invest in technology companies across various verticals and geographies, while generating high-level added value for portfolio companies.
So far, Boğaziçi Ventures partners and its team have made investment decisions in more than 100 technology companies. They play an active role in technology entrepreneurship, supporting founders with mentorship and know-how transfer on their journey to international success.
The group companies of Boğaziçi Ventures also establish and manage tailored funds according to investors’ needs and provide digital asset custody services. BV Portföy Inc., under Boğaziçi Ventures, offers services to individual and institutional investors in establishing and managing investment funds subject to the Capital Markets Law. BV Asset Management aims to set up and manage venture capital funds as well as funds investing in publicly traded technology companies’ shares.