Turkey: Angel investments amount to $102M in 2019

By Ugur Aslanhan, Abdulkadir Gunyol, and Tolga Yanik

ISTANBUL (AA) - In 2019, angel investments amounted to $102 million in Turkey, up 66% on an annual basis, an official said on Monday.

Turkey is the fourth largest angel investment country in Europe with 141 angel investors, Lutfi Elvan, the chairman of parliament's planning and budget committee, told the World Congress of the World Business Angel Investment Forum (WBAF 2020) in Istanbul.

The country is determined to improve venture capital and angel investment fields, Elvan stated.

On the global angel investment volume, he said it totaled $21 billion in the U.S. and €7.5 billion ($8.8 billion) in Europe last year.

The two-day congress kicked off on Monday, hosting hundreds of participants from 92 countries and 132 international speakers in 24 panels, including angel investors, venture capitalists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

The event, for which Anadolu Agency is the global communications partner, is expected to be attended by 1,500 delegates.

- Biggest event of its kind

WBAF chairman Baybars Altuntas said the congress is the biggest event of the world’s early and post-early stage equity and capital markets.

The WBAF is a unique opportunity not only for angel investors and policymakers, but also for industry and business leaders to forge new connections and pursue business opportunities, he stated.

Altuntas said: "The congress offers industry leaders global access to the best and the brightest in the business world."

* Writing by Gokhan Ergocun