Boğaziçi Ventures and GKG Ventures Join Forces
Venture capital firms that support entrepreneurs during their growth phase—Netherlands-based GKG Ventures and Turkey-based Boğaziçi Ventures—have announced a partnership to invest in companies operating within the fintech ecosystem.
GKG Ventures, the venture capital arm of a global financial services group headquartered in the Netherlands, has declared its collaboration with Boğaziçi Ventures, one of the seasoned players in Turkey’s startup ecosystem. Leveraging the strategic power of its parent group—comprising over 2,000 experts across five continents—together with Boğaziçi Ventures’ deep expertise in the Turkish market, GKG Ventures plans to focus on investments in fintech startups. The partnership has allocated $30 million for this initiative, primarily targeting startups in Turkey and Central & Eastern Europe. Additionally, the firms aim to extend fintech investments into secondary markets across Europe and Asia.
A Partnership Set to Make an Impact in the Fintech Ecosystem
With GKG Ventures’ global experience and reach in financial technologies, combined with Boğaziçi Ventures’ strong presence in the Turkish market, this collaboration is poised to create a powerful impact in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Together, the two firms intend not only to provide financial backing to Turkish fintechs expanding globally but also to support them closely in areas such as strategy, risk management, growth (both vertical and horizontal), technology, legal, compliance, human resources, marketing, institutionalization, and executive mentorship.
Goal: Bringing Successful Startups to Global Markets
Operating across five continents, GKG includes technology consultancy firms and group companies that leverage cutting-edge technologies such as AI and big data. Since 2015, Boğaziçi Ventures has successfully managed operations to support Turkish growth-stage tech startups in achieving global success, primarily through its BV Growth fund. With both firms’ strong capabilities in scaling companies globally, startups will gain significant advantages in their growth journeys. Investee companies will benefit from the powerful mentorship network and global expertise of both firms, experiencing advantages such as faster and safer access to international markets, broader international business ecosystems, and both functional and operational support.
“Turkey’s Star Will Shine in the Global Startup Ecosystem”
Baran Engür, Managing Director of GKG Ventures, expressed confidence that this partnership would deliver long-term benefits to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, particularly for fintech and tech startups:
“We have seen in recent years how startups born and raised in Turkey can create global impact with successful examples. This was a key turning point. Now, we need more bold entrepreneurs and global partners like us to guide them. We believe in Turkey’s entrepreneurial potential. With this strategic alliance with Boğaziçi Ventures, we will move forward with confidence toward our goals in the designated regions, helping local startups reach the top with our international expertise and experience.”
“We Hold the Elixir Entrepreneurship Needs”
Barış Özistek, Board Member of Boğaziçi Ventures, also shared his perspective:
“Today’s startups face countless battles on their road to success, and unfortunately, their resources are often limited. As we saw during the pandemic, unforeseen external factors can easily disrupt plans. The value of experience and wisdom in areas like building strategies, preparing data-driven business plans, networking with the right people, acquiring expertise, and maximizing the use of data is growing rapidly. With this collaboration with GKG Ventures, we believe the positive impact will be visible in a very short time.”