Startups in Türkiye secured $172 million through 87 funding rounds during the first six months of 2026, according to data from industry monitor startups.watch. The figures were presented at the organisation’s second-quarter startup event in Istanbul. Six companies—Grand Games, TaleMonster Games, Fimple, Lucida, Dataroid and Brix—received 75% of the total capital raised.

Gaming remained the strongest part of the country’s startup sector, securing $111.4 million, or almost 65% of all investment. Startups.watch founder Serkan Ünsal said gaming companies continued to carry a large share of funding activity. Other technology fields attracted investment, but they remained well behind gaming.

Fintech companies raised $16.6 million in the first half of 2026, compared with $220.4 million during the whole of 2025. Meanwhile, 33 Turkish artificial intelligence startups secured a combined $28.6 million. Ünsal said the country’s AI sector remains at an early stage and will need much larger funding rounds if its companies are to compete internationally.

Tuğrul Tekbulut, founder of Logo Software, said many Turkish startups can obtain seed financing but struggle when seeking Series A or later-stage capital. At that point, companies may be too expensive for early investors while remaining too small for major international funds. He called for greater willingness among domestic investors to support companies through this difficult stage.

Tekbulut cited cybersecurity company Timus Networks as an example of an international expansion strategy. The company retained operations in Türkiye, Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus while selling its wider global business at a higher valuation.