Istanbul: Trkiye's fintech, gaming, and artificial intelligence (AI) investments reached $211 million in the first half of the year for its startup ecosystem, as the country's young and tech-savvy population contributed to long-term opportunities for investors.

According to Anadolu Agency, some 91 investment rounds saw the Turkish fintech startup business receive $97.1 million, gaming $72.4 million, and AI $12.6 million, data showed.

Baris Ozistek, CEO of Bogazici Ventures, told Anadolu that the video game sector continued a strong performance this half, emerging as one of the most active markets globally. He stated, "The second half of the year will be more active but it'll be hard to match last year's investment volume. Gaming and fintech sectors led the first half of this year, but AI must take the lead in Trkiye, following global trends."

Ozistek highlighted that Trkiye's startup ecosystem is robust in gaming, fintech, retail, and defense, while AI, digital health, mobility, and industrial technology sectors are still developing. He pointed out that sectors like biotechnology require significant financing and are currently lacking.

"Turkish startups are among the top 10 in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) region," he said, emphasizing that startup entrepreneurs should focus on transforming various sectors with AI.

Ali Karabey, co-founder of venture capital company 212, mentioned that Trkiye's entrepreneurial ecosystem demonstrated resilience this half despite global fluctuations. He noted that fintech and AI stood out in the number of transactions, while the gaming startups gained prominence in value.

"We expect investors to remain selective and focus on business models with stronger foundations in the remainder of the year," Karabey stated. "We anticipate continued investments in AI and fintech, while energy and climate-focused solutions will gain more attention."

He further noted that the $211 million startup investment volume surpasses markets like Romania and Bulgaria but is below Poland and Czechia, while the number of transactions elevated Trkiye to the top five in Central and Eastern Europe. He concluded by emphasizing that integrating AI is crucial to enhancing the competitiveness of startups as investor interest shifts toward AI-based solutions.