In a move reflective of the growing necessity for low-latency data processing, companies worldwide spanning energy, aviation, finance, healthcare, entertainment and media, are investing in data centers to "buy time" and remain competitive in the digital business landscape.

Equinix, counted among the world's largest data center companies, is responding to the surge in demand in Türkiye by expanding its data center investments in Istanbul's Ümraniye district.

The expansion aligns with a broader trend where major data center companies like Equinix investing in Türkiye serve as precursors to investments from global technology giants such as Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft.

In June 2024, Equinix plans to open a new 6.5 megawatt, 3,000-square-meter white space in its second data center. Additionally, it acquired a minimum 40 MW facility at the end of 2021 for future development.

Aslıhan Güreşçier, general manager of Equinix Türkiye, highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on heightened interest, attributing it to accelerated demand.

"Actually, the pandemic accelerated demand. At this stage, we struggled to activate some facilities because it was not easy to access the energy sources and infrastructure services needed to meet the demanded high standard. Finance and e-commerce companies, in particular, led the way," said Güreşçier.

"Thanks to the partnerships we have formed with integrator companies, we provide cloud services over the data centers. Cloud service providers don't go everywhere. I call them magnetic institutions. When magnetic institutions, that is, service providers come, others also start to come. As the customer side grows, so do the business partners."

Güreşçier emphasized the crucial role of data centers and the growing demand.

"We see how accurate Equinix's vision set 25 years ago was. Companies wanting to conduct business with high standards, uninterrupted and with low latency are investing in data centers to be close to the cloud. Being close to the cloud has become the key to providing less delayed services. Now, we have brought together the aviation industry in this regard. We occasionally meet with our business partners in different sectors to develop data center solutions. Our global data center investments make it easier for Turkish companies operating globally and international companies," she noted.

"They no longer need to make recurring investments. With Equinix Fabric, we provide the infrastructure closest to the cloud by optimizing all costs through physically proximate virtual connections. In this regard, Equinix Fabric service is preferred by our global cloud provider partners, application software companies and integrators."

Prepared for change

Discussing pivotal moments in every sector, Güreşçier acknowledged their efforts to become a platform company and their focus on artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping the digital infrastructure of organizations through big data.

"Even when we are at our best, we look at whether we have missed anything. We hold meetings with industry representatives to improve the overall experience. We are making significant investments in digital services. Companies initially tried to adapt to cloud services. Now, it's about artificial intelligence," said Güreşçier.

"Although it has been a concept for 50-60 years, it is now entering the agenda of organizations. There is no other chance for organizations to understand the data they possess. We have entered the era of Private AI. Every organization is making efforts for its own AI infrastructure. We work as a platform provider at this point. AI increases energy and graphics processor costs per cabin, and our way of doing business is starting to change."

Tech giants entrust Equinix

Equinix's role as a herald of technology giants' investments is rooted in its provision of data center infrastructure for global cloud services such as Google, AWS, Microsoft, Alibaba, IBM, VMWare, and Oracle. Furthermore, Equinix offers the infrastructure for application software for industry leaders like SAP, Salesforce, Cisco and Zoom. The shift in focus to Türkiye for data centers could be attributed to the tech giants' desire to provide seamless services to local institutions and corporate users.

Insha sets up venture capital investment fund

Financial technology pioneer Insha Ventures has successfully launched a venture capital investment fund exceeding TL 100 million ($3.46 million), expanding its operational scope and committing to investing in both its proprietary brands and promising fintech ventures.

Established by Albaraka Türk participation bank and managed by Albaraka Portfolio Management, Insha remains dedicated to its mission of "building, nurturing and investing in end-to-end fintech."

With the initiation of the new fund, the company aims not only to broaden its operational horizons but also to invest in its existing brands and promising fintech ventures within the ecosystem.

Investing in 3 distinct ventures

Providing insights into the initiative, Hasan Sami Bayansar, the general manager of Insha Ventures, stated that they function as a comprehensive venture builder, offering support across a broad spectrum from operations and marketing to strategy to sales channels for their in-house brands.

"The fundamental focus of the fund, established with the initiative of Albaraka Portfolio Management, is to support projects that require development and expansion. In alignment with this focus, our priority is to spin off projects and products under the Insha Ventures umbrella, transforming them into independent companies. This approach allows our projects to thrive independently and foster further growth," said Bayansar.

Moving forward, he said their commitment extends not only to our internal projects but also to supporting ventures with the potential to create value in the fintech vertical. "In this context, we aim to strengthen our presence in the industry by investing in three different ventures within the fintech sector within 2024," he noted.

Tesu Health secures initial investment

Tesu Health Technologies Inc., the digital healthcare initiative operating at Cube Incubation, the incubation center of Technopark Istanbul, has received its first investment amounting to TL 70 million ($2.42 million) ahead of its planned global investment tour in 2024.

Pioneering the development of Türkiye's first digital medicine, Tesu Health focuses on transforming the treatment of diseases through innovative software technologies.

Digital medicines, a product of advanced software technologies, have the capability to reverse the progression of chronic diseases by eliminating their root causes, thereby providing effective treatment. Developed based on scientific data and meeting numerous international standards, digital medicines offer a non-chemical or non-biological approach to treating chronic diseases.

These medicines are prescribed solely by physicians to patients in need. Tesu Health, actively engaged in research in the field of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, supports the effectiveness and safety of its digital medicines through clinical trials.

Accelerating global initiatives

Highlighting the significance of the investment just before their global investment tour, Hasan Avcu, CEO of Tesu Health, said that by taking steps that align with their vision and partnering with an experienced investor with a global investment background, "we are venturing from Türkiye to the world."

"With this investment, we aim to diversify our product range and expedite our global initiatives. We have initiated the structuring processes in Cambridge, considered the heart of the life sciences sector, to expand our presence internationally. Planning a global investment tour in 2024, our goal is to provide digital treatments easily accessible to millions, while alleviating the burden on healthcare systems. We are determined to achieve this," said Avcu.

Pioneering achievements

Commending the Tesu Health team, Muhammet Fatih Özsoy, general manager of Technopark Istanbul, expressed pride in the global success achieved by ventures collaborating at Cube Incubation.

"Tesu Health is making pioneering contributions to healthcare technologies on behalf of our country. I congratulate them. Working within incubation centers is one of the most effective ways for ventures to secure investments on the path of growth. Technopark Istanbul provides all necessary support to help entrepreneurs present themselves more equipped in front of international investors."

Tesu Health conducts digital medicine development processes in compliance with medical device regulations in Türkiye, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. It plans to introduce its products initially in Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany, followed by other EU countries and the U.S.

Recently selected for support by the Cambridge Life Sciences Market Access Programme, backed by the United Kingdom government and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Tesu Health will operate its global operations based in Cambridge.

Türk Telekom touts women entrepreneurs' pioneering role

One of Türkiye's leading telecommunications and technology companies, Türk Telekom, continues to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem by supporting innovative startup ideas with technological and social means.

In pursuit of this goal, the company organized a special event on Women's Entrepreneurship Day at the Türk Telekom Ventures Entrepreneurship Center located at the Atatürk Cultural Center, the intersection of technology, culture and arts.

Muhammed Özhan, the general manager of Türk Telekom Ventures, delivered the opening speech at the "Women's Entrepreneurship Day Meeting," organized within the scope of Türk Telekom Ventures Entrepreneurship Talks.

"We guide and invest in local startups focusing on technology in various fields, ranging from health to energy, education and AI-supported business solutions, contributing to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We see that women entrepreneurs are pioneers in many fields. We believe that groundbreaking ideas for the future will emerge at the TT Ventures Entrepreneurship Center, whose opening we recently celebrated at the Atatürk Cultural Center, with Türk Telekom as the main supporter," he noted.

Özhan also mentioned ongoing and future events at the Türk Telekom Ventures Entrepreneurship Center, where he says expert guests address different topics related to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He said the center aims to continue organizing special events to further engage and contribute to the entrepreneurial community.

Living beyond dreams

The "World Women's Entrepreneurship Day Meeting" featured a session titled "Living Beyond Dreams," which saw investor and social entrepreneur Ebru Dorman provide insights into the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Türkiye and share the criteria for successful startups from an investor's perspective.

The second session featured the success stories and journeys of Aytül Erçil, co-founder and co-CEO of Vispera, along with Ceren Süngü Kalpaklıoğlu, the founder of Pabbler, a graduate of TT Ventures' startup acceleration program PILOT, and Gökten Doğan, who developed its brand called Büyük Dedemin Balları through trainings and grants extended through the Digital Makes Life Easier project.

Growth spurs startups' overseas expansion

Istanbul has successfully established itself as a startup-friendly city at the seed stage, according to the Startup Genome 2023 report. But as the investment amounts increase, technology startups are increasingly relocating their headquarters abroad.

The report highlights Istanbul as a favorable environment for the initiation of entrepreneurial ventures, citing a conducive investment climate and the availability of a skilled workforce.

However, at the full growth stage, the contribution of local investors tends to diminish, with foreign investors coming into play as the investment amounts escalate. Consequently, as the investment size grows, it is not the local investors, but rather foreign entities that get involved.

Despite the involvement of different investment instruments such as venture capital investment funds and going public on the stock market, global investors emphasize the importance of having foreign oversight lawyers in their investments. Investors advocate for the removal of the requirement for the center to be in Türkiye for subsequent investments.

According to data from industry monitor startups. watch, 17% of startups in the seed stage relocate abroad, while in the early and Series A stages, 75% move their headquarters overseas. Access to financial resources often necessitates establishing a presence abroad due to the conditions set by investors. Generally, engineering centers tend to remain in Türkiye.

Top 50 startups revealed in Big Bang Startup Challenge

The 12th edition of Türkiye's largest entrepreneurial event, the Big Bang Startup Challenge, has announced the top 50 startups that will take the stage and introduce themselves to the public.

The event is organized by Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) Çekirdek, named the world's best university incubation center in the "University-Linked Incubators" category by UBI Global this year.

Scheduled for Dec. 13-14 and set to be conducted entirely in-person, the event will feature presentations from 50 startups across eight different verticals. The participating startups stand the chance to receive a total of more than TL 341 million ($11.81 million) in awards, investments and cash support, building on the momentum from the previous year.

The İTÜ Çekirdek Incubation Center, which supports an average of 500 startups annually, creating millions of dollars in added value for the Turkish economy, has been a key player in fostering technological entrepreneurship for over a decade.

With a track record of supporting over 4,200 technology startups, contributing to the establishment of 1,400 companies, and assisting startups in generating employment for 10,000 individuals and securing $150 million in investments, the total valuation of startups under İTÜ Çekirdek's umbrella has reached an impressive $1.5 billion.

The Big Bang Startup Challenge serves as a gateway for the startups taking the stage, opening doors for them to go global and expand their horizons beyond national borders. The event not only showcases the innovation and potential of these startups but also plays a pivotal role in advancing the startup ecosystem and contributing to the growth of the Turkish entrepreneurial landscape.

Palo Alto Networks unveils new feature to security operations

Palo Alto Networks has integrated the "Bring Your Own AI" feature into its Artificial Intelligence Supported Security Operations platform. The enhancement allows customers to integrate their own proprietary AI models alongside the existing dataset of more than 1,300 models within the XSIAM data lake.

As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, the need for different measures in cybersecurity operations becomes imperative. It used to take an attacker 44 days on average to exfiltrate data from an organization once it was compromised. Now, it's a matter of hours, and with companies taking an average of 5.5 days to contain an incident, legacy security operations solutions no longer work.

Palo Alto Networks is advancing its award-winning AI-supported security operations platform with Cortex XSIAM 2.0, which introduces a new "Bring Your Own Machine Learning" (BYOML) framework.

The Cortex XSIAM solution empowers customers to revolutionize security operations centers (SOC) by significantly reducing time to resolution. One services company improved its median time to resolution from days to minutes, 270 times faster than before.

Accelerating fraud detection

Palo Alto Networks collects more security data than any other cybersecurity company, with more than 5 petabytes of security data ingested daily, and with more than 1 exabyte stored in total. XSIAM offers robust, out-of-the-box AI models built for superior security analytics and protection against threats. In addition, many mature SOCs want the ability to customize and create their own ML models.

The BYOML framework makes the vast security data stored in XSIAM available for the first time. This allows security teams to create and integrate their own ML models into XSIAM to enable unique use cases like fraud detection, security research and sophisticated data visualization.