How to find angel investors in Türkiye

For an early-stage startup, the first outside money often comes from an angel investor. This guide explains who angel investors are, where to find them in Türkiye and what to watch for from the first meeting to the investment agreement.

Who is an angel investor?

An angel investor is an individual who invests their own money in early-stage startups, usually at the idea, product-development and seed stages. Cheques are smaller than those of venture capital funds; in return, a good angel brings sector experience, a network of customers and investors, and mentoring alongside the money.

Angels are often founders who have built and sold companies, senior executives or specialists in a particular industry.

The angel investment ecosystem in Türkiye

The main places to meet angel investors in Türkiye are:

• Licensed individual participation investors: In Türkiye, angel investors can be licensed under the Ministry of Treasury and Finance's individual participation capital (BKS) regulation. Licensed investors may benefit from tax advantages under certain conditions.
• Angel investor networks: Networks bringing licensed investors together run regular pitch events and co-investment rounds.
• Technoparks and incubators: University technology development zones and incubation programmes host events that connect startups with investors.
• Accelerator demo days: Startups completing a programme pitch to investors.
• Your own network: Advisers, former managers and founders who have raised before are the most trusted sources of introductions.

Choosing the right angel

Not every investor is the right investor for you. Before meeting, answer these questions:

1. Sector fit: Does the investor know your sector and have they backed similar companies?
2. Stage and size: Do they invest at your stage and at the amount you need?
3. Contribution: Beyond money, can they help with customers, hiring or the next round?
4. Time: How much time can they give and how often do they expect updates?
5. References: Talk to founders in their portfolio and ask how they behaved in hard times.

Preparing for the first meeting

Your goal in the first meeting is to spark interest and get a second meeting. Checklist:

• A short 10–12 slide deck and a one-page summary
• The problem you solve, your product and why now
• Key metrics such as users, revenue or growth
• How much you are raising and what milestones the money will reach
• An up-to-date cap table

Common mistakes

• Too high a valuation too early: It can make the next round harder.
• Control terms: Broad veto rights given in the first round can cause problems later.
• Taking money without a written agreement: Every investment should be documented in an agreement reviewed by a lawyer.
• Depending on a single investor: Run conversations in parallel.

Reaching investors on Türkiye Startups

Create a free startup profile on Türkiye Startups. Once our team reviews and publishes it, investors can find you by sector, stage and city. On the investors page you can read their investment theses and send intro requests directly to the ones that fit.