Take Off Istanbul 2025 Summit kicks off with global startups & AI focus

The Take Off Istanbul 2025 entrepreneurship summit, organized by the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) with the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Presidential Investment and Finance Office, has officially begun at Istanbul Expo Center.

Now in its 8th year, the summit brings together over 500 startups from 40 countries and more than 250 investors, making it the region's most comprehensive entrepreneurship event. The opening speech was delivered by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır.

Steve Nouri, CEO of GenAI Works, presented "LLMs Alone Are Not Enough: New Rules for Competitive Advantage," highlighting 2024 as an exciting year for AI innovation. He noted the rapid rise of multi-tasking AI systems generating text, video, and images, and emphasized the decreasing cost and increased accessibility of AI models worldwide. Nouri also highlighted Google's comeback in generative AI with Gemini's new version.

Another session, "From QR Codes to AI: The Global Journey of FinTech," was moderated by Dündar Özdemir, CEO of DSM Payment and Electronic Money Services, with Alex Jin from Ant International. Jin discussed how AliPay+ enables 1.8 billion users and over 150 million merchants across 100+ markets to connect through digital wallets and cross-border payment solutions.

Since its first edition in 2018, the summit has hosted nearly 1,000 startups, providing $1.8 million in investment support. This year, Take Off Istanbul features 80 partners, 13 sponsors, and international pavilions from Spain, Bangladesh, North Macedonia, and Uzbekistan.

Special programs like the "Entrepreneurial Event" and "International Investor Meeting" offer networking and investment opportunities. Main stage topics include generative AI, deep tech, FinTech innovations, global investment trends, and sustainability. Student-focused educational sessions are also provided to support young talent.