Türkiye's leading startup firms and entrepreneurs will showcase their groundbreaking innovations at the prestigious Slush 2024 event in Helsinki, Finland, considered one of Europe's largest startup gatherings.
As part of Türkiye’s thriving technology ecosystem, entrepreneurs will present cutting-edge solutions, engage with international investors and explore opportunities for global collaboration at the two-day event that will start on Wednesday.
Firms will participate in the event, which this year has the main theme "Metamorphosis – A Call For Radical Transformation," under the leadership of the Presidential Investment Office of Türkiye.
Slush, which gets its name from November Finnish weather, allows venture capitalists and startup founders to compare notes to see whether funding can buck the trend of three years of relative global slowdown.
Based in Helsinki, Slush annually hosts the world’s leading startup event, bringing together a curated crowd of European startups, world-class investors and tech journalists.
"Looking ahead, there are reasons for cautious optimism. AI continues to attract significant investment – nearly $40 billion globally in 2023 – showing confidence in its transformative potential," Slush CEO Aino Bergius told Reuters ahead of the event, due to be attended by 13,000 people.
One of Europe's largest venture capital firms, Index, said the two-day event came "amid a streak of optimism" in European tech, driven by investment in AI.
Investment Office stated on Wednesday that with its strategic location, dynamic and youthful population, robust infrastructure and growing technology sector, Türkiye continues to attract significant attention from investors worldwide.
"Positioned at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Türkiye offers unique access to over 1.3 billion consumers, establishing itself as an unparalleled gateway for investment," it added.
During Slush 2024, the most founder-focused event on earth, the Investment Office will highlight Türkiye’s strengths in high-growth sectors, including fintech, artificial intelligence, gaming, image recognition, marketing analytics and health care.
Vice President of the office, Bekir Polat, highlighted Türkiye’s competitive position in key technology sectors, stating: "Türkiye offers a unique environment for investors, particularly in high-growth sectors like fintech, gaming technologies and AI."
"Slush is a pivotal opportunity to showcase Türkiye’s tech capabilities and its dynamic entrepreneurship ecosystem. We highlight Türkiye’s advanced tech infrastructure, a young and skilled workforce, and an investor-friendly regulatory framework.”
He further emphasized that Türkiye’s increased presence at Slush this year reinforces the Investment Office’s commitment to supporting Türkiye’s businesses as they scale and succeed in global markets.
In addition to showcasing startups at the main stage, the office will hold a side event titled "Türkiye’s Fintech Ecosystem: The Nexus of Innovation" on Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EET (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. GMT).
