14 seed funds back Istanbul startups in 2026. Many closed fresh funds last year. Seed makes up most Turkish deals, and founders raise in dollars to go global.
Seed funds come after the angels and write the first big cheque, and most of them lead the round and take a board seat. A wave of new funds closed in 2024, which means there is fresh capital chasing the strongest early teams right now.
Seed is the bulk of Turkish dealflow, and founders raise in dollars early so they can scale beyond the local market from day one. Fintech and gaming still pull the most money, while AI is climbing fast and starting to win larger cheques than it did a year ago.
Seed rounds move quickly and hinge on tight, well-organized data, so the room you share matters as much as the story you tell. Ellty keeps your files in one tracked room, letting you see exactly which funds opened your deck and how far they read.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revo Capital | Multi-stage VC | US$250K-$5M | Fintech, SaaS, gaming | revo.vc |
| 212 | Institutional VC | US$500K-$2M | B2B tech, fintech, SaaS | 212.vc |
| Bek Ventures | Multi-stage VC | Early-stage cheques | Tech, software, fintech | bekventures.com |
| Laton Ventures | Gaming seed VC | Pre-seed, seed cheques | Gaming, mobile apps | Istanbul gaming VC |
| Diffusion Capital Partners | Deep-tech seed VC | Up to ~EUR 500K | Deep tech, AI, health | dcp.vc |
| ScaleX Ventures | Seed-to-Series-A VC | EUR 300K-3M | Deep tech, B2B SaaS | scalexventures.com |
| Bogazici Ventures | Multi-fund VC | Seed-round cheques | Enterprise apps, AI, gaming | bogaziciventures.com |
| e2vc | Institutional seed VC | ~US$1M | Pre-seed, seed tech | 500ee.co |
| Logo Ventures | Corporate seed VC | US$100K-$1.5M | B2B SaaS, AI, fintech | Logo Yazilim venture arm |
| QNBEYOND Ventures | Corporate seed CVC | US$200K-$750K | Fintech, SaaS, AI | qnbeyond.com |
| APY Ventures | Institutional seed VC | ~US$1.23M average | Fintech, gaming, defense | Istanbul seed VC |
| Eksim Ventures | Multi-stage VC | US$500K-$2M | Fintech, health, energy | eksimventures.com |
| Ludus Ventures | Gaming seed VC | Seed cheques | Gaming, game tech | ludus.vc |
| Inveo Ventures | Institutional seed VC | Seed cheques | AI, fintech, SaaS | Istanbul seed VC |
Keep your seed data room ready for every fund
Seed funds dig into your numbers before they lead. Ellty logs every view so you know who is serious before the call.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a seed investor backs
A seed fund backs early but real traction, looking for a first signal that the product works and that customers will pay for it. They typically lead the round and set the terms, and most take a board seat so they can shape the company through its earliest decisions.
They also want a market that is big enough to return the fund, so a clean fundraising file that frames the opportunity goes a long way. Ellty gives each fund its own tracked link, so you can see who read your deck first and who is quietly circling back for a second look.
Entrepreneurs from the region have less entitlement. They know the value of a dollar.
14 Istanbul seed investors
1. Revo Capital
Revo is Turkey's largest tech VC.
Recent Activity: Closed an US$86M Fund III
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, gaming
Stage Focus: Seed to early
Check Size: US$250K-$5M
Location: Istanbul
Website: revo.vc
2. 212
212 backs B2B and fintech founders at seed.
Recent Activity: Launched a pre-seed vehicle, 212 NexT
LinkedIn: 212 LinkedIn
Sector Focus: B2B tech, fintech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$500K-$2M
Location: Istanbul
Website: 212.vc
3. Bek Ventures
Bek backs Turkish-rooted founders going global.
Recent Activity: Closed an US$250M Fund III in 2024
Sector Focus: Tech, software, fintech
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: Early-stage cheques
Location: Istanbul / London
Website: bekventures.com
4. Laton Ventures
Laton backs gaming and app studios at seed.
Recent Activity: Raised an US$50M gaming fund in 2025
Sector Focus: Gaming, mobile apps
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Pre-seed, seed cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: Istanbul gaming VC
5. Diffusion Capital Partners
DCP backs science-based deep-tech startups.
Recent Activity: Backs science-based startups
Sector Focus: Deep tech, AI, health
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Up to ~EUR 500K
Location: Istanbul
Website: dcp.vc
6. ScaleX Ventures
ScaleX backs deep tech and B2B at seed.
Recent Activity: Closed Fund II in 2025
Sector Focus: Deep tech, B2B SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: EUR 300K-3M
Location: Istanbul
Website: scalexventures.com
Share one link with every Istanbul seed fund
Ellty shows when a fund opens your deck. Follow up at the right moment, not days later.
Start free 14-day trial7. Bogazici Ventures
Bogazici led a seed round for Artiwise.
Recent Activity: Led a US$750K seed for Artiwise
Sector Focus: Enterprise apps, AI, gaming
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Seed-round cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: bogaziciventures.com
8. e2vc
e2vc spun out of 500 Global in 2024.
Recent Activity: Spun out of 500 Global in 2024
Sector Focus: Pre-seed, seed tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: ~US$1M
Location: Istanbul
Website: 500ee.co
9. Logo Ventures
Logo Ventures backs B2B and AI software.
Recent Activity: Backs B2B and AI software
Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, AI, fintech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$100K-$1.5M
Location: Istanbul
Website: Logo Yazilim venture arm
10. QNBEYOND Ventures
QNBEYOND was an early backer of HockeyStack.
Recent Activity: An early backer of HockeyStack
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, AI
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$200K-$750K
Location: Istanbul
Website: qnbeyond.com
11. APY Ventures
APY made 15 investments in 2024.
Recent Activity: Made 15 investments in 2024
LinkedIn: APY Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, gaming, defense
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: ~US$1.23M average
Location: Istanbul
Website: Istanbul seed VC
12. Eksim Ventures
Eksim backs Hiwell and other early startups.
Recent Activity: Backs Hiwell and other startups
Sector Focus: Fintech, health, energy
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$500K-$2M
Location: Istanbul
Website: eksimventures.com
13. Ludus Ventures
Ludus led Midas Games' seed round.
Recent Activity: Led Midas Games' US$1M seed
Sector Focus: Gaming, game tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Seed cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: ludus.vc
14. Inveo Ventures
Inveo co-invested in Myth AI's seed.
Recent Activity: Co-invested in Myth AI's seed
Sector Focus: AI, fintech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Seed cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: Istanbul seed VC
How Istanbul seed works
Most Turkish deals now happen at seed, where the funds step in to back the first real institutional round after the angels. Many of these funds closed fresh money in 2024, and they raise and invest in dollars so their portfolios can scale across borders rather than stay local.
A state program seeds deep tech at the earliest stage and backs hundreds of founders each year, widening the funnel that later VCs draw from. Most seed funds lead the round and take a board seat, joining early enough to shape strategy, so keep your seed data ready and read our Istanbul angel investors guide for the round before this one.
Where the seed money is
Fintech and gaming still pull the most seed capital, while AI is rising fast and defense tech has become a genuinely new theme drawing fresh cheques. Funds favor Turkish-rooted teams chasing global markets, and they like keeping the core engineering in Turkey where talent is strong and costs stay reasonable.
Seed files hold private numbers that you should never scatter across email threads, so keep them in one virtual data room you fully control. Ellty logs who opened each file and when, letting you track every fund with document analytics instead of guessing at interest.
From seed to a Series A
A seed round buys you the time to grow into the metrics a Series A actually wants, so treat it as the runway to real, defensible traction. Keep your backers close with steady updates between rounds, and lean on investor relations tools so the next raise starts warm rather than cold.
A clean metrics room speeds the whole process, so have it ready before the first call rather than scrambling once interest lands. Read our due diligence timeline guide to know what each fund checks first, and keep every file in one Ellty room while you watch for the red flags funds screen for.
How to pitch a seed investor
Lead with traction that is real.
- 1.Lead with traction that is real.Show numbers that move, not vanity metrics. Real revenue, retention, or usage growth tells a seed fund the product already works.
- 2.Show the market is big enough.Funds want a prize large enough to return the whole fund. Frame the size of the opportunity and the wedge you use to win it.
- 3.Share one Ellty link to your data.Send a single trackable link instead of scattered attachments. You see who opens each file and how deep they read.
- 4.Follow up the day a fund digs in.Ellty shows the exact moment a partner opens your room. Reach out while you are still top of mind, not days later.
How Ellty helps you land a seed investor in Istanbul
You've shortlisted your Istanbul seed funds already. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your deck, metrics, and plan.Set access per fund or partner.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets its own link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up on time.Use analytics to time each nudge.
Istanbul seed investor questions
- Funds like Revo, 212, and Bek. Corporate arms back seed too.
- Most run US$250K to a few million. Bigger rounds reach US$5M.
- Yes, seed is most of its deals. Istanbul ranks high in Europe.
- Angels write the first small cheque. Seed funds lead the bigger round.
- Real traction and a big market. A clear plan to a Series A.
- Before your first seed call. Track who opens your deck.
