The Take Off Istanbul 2025 technology and entrepreneurship summit is preparing to open its doors to visitors and startups for the eighth time later this week, the event organizers said on Monday.
Organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) in cooperation with the Industry and Technology Ministry and the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, the summit is positioned as the region's most comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship platform.
At a press briefing held ahead of the event, which will take place on Dec. 10-11 at the Istanbul Expo Center (IFM), the organizers shared key details and expectations related to the program.
The informational meeting was attended by the event director, Irem Bayraktar Aksakal; T3 Foundation Chair Elvan Kuzucu Hıdır; Kadir Dikili, the head of the Technology Entrepreneurship Department at the Industry and Technology Ministry's General Directorate of National Technology; and Ahmet Cüneyt Selçuk, an adviser at the Investment and Finance Office.
Beginning its journey in 2018 under the roof of Türkiye's premier technology and aviation event, Teknofest – Take Off has now become a powerful innovation hub, bringing together a broad range of stakeholders, from global investment funds and corporate innovation teams to government representatives and international entrepreneurship communities.
This year, the gathering will feature over 500 startups from 40 countries, over 260 investors, 85 partners, and 12 sponsoring institutions, according to organizers.
Countries such as Spain, Bangladesh, North Macedonia and Uzbekistan will, for the first time, join the event, bringing prominent startups from their respective ecosystems to Istanbul with pavilions and adding a stronger international dimension to the summit.
The summit's program is shaped by comprehensive sessions focusing on the most critical topics in the technology world. The main stage will feature content on future-shaping fields such as generative artificial intelligence, deep technology, fintech, global investment strategies, and sustainability.
This year's event features distinguished speakers, including Selçuk Bayraktar, chair of the board of trustees of T3 Foundation, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, the head of Invesment and Finance Office Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, Steve Nouri, globally renowned for his work in artificial intelligence and data science and also CEO and co-founder of GenAI Works, Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koç, Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol, Diana Virgovicova, founder and CEO of Xatoms and Yusuf Kıraç, the president of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), among others.
