The 2nd GEV Future Summit, organized under the leadership of the Gedik Education Foundation (GEV) and Istanbul Gedik University, was held on June 3, 2026, at the MEXT Technology Center. Held under the theme “The Ecosystem of the Future: From Entrepreneurship to the Future,” the summit brought together Turkey’s leading figures in the fields of entrepreneurship, investment, technology, and artificial intelligence. Covering a wide range of topics—from artificial intelligence to startup investments, and from the development of the entrepreneurship ecosystem to future business models—the summit addressed innovation-driven transformation and new-generation economic opportunities.
At the summit, moderated by Bloomberg HT anchor, journalist, and GEV volunteer Hande Demirel, experts from Turkey and around the world shared their insights with the participants.
“Investing Isn’t Just About Putting in Capital—It’s About Being a Partner on the Journey”
Hülya Gedik, Chair of the Board of Directors of Gedik Holding and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Gedik Education Foundation and Istanbul Gedik University, delivered the opening remarks at the summit. “Last year, we held the first GEV Future Summit in collaboration with the Gedik Education Foundation and Istanbul Gedik University. At that time, we were discussing technology, education, and human capital. This year, our focus is on entrepreneurship.”
We always strive to bring you something new. That’s because we never stand still—we’re constantly working and innovating. Entrepreneurship was on our agenda last year as well, but we weren’t running it under a dedicated platform. Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of GearUp.
As the Gedik Education Foundation, we have been carrying out education and social impact initiatives since 1994. We support women in gaining professional skills, contribute to the development of young people, and believe in the transformative power of education. At our university, we place particular emphasis on vocational education, aiming to prepare our students not as “middle-level employees” but as “highly sought-after professionals.”
When we founded GearUp, we realized that college years are the time when young people are at their most entrepreneurial, bold, and productive. That’s why we created a platform where they can turn their ideas into economic value. For us, investing isn’t just about providing capital; it means standing by entrepreneurs with knowledge, experience, and networking support.
“Although GearUp is a very new initiative today, our goal is ambitious. As a platform open not only to students at Istanbul Gedik University but to young people across Turkey, we will continue to support startups that add value to the future,” he said.
The event, attended by representatives from the public sector, academia, the private sector, and the entrepreneurial community, addressed opportunities to enhance Turkey’s innovation capacity, the transformation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the impact of next-generation technologies on economic growth. Throughout the summit, panels and sessions explored the entrepreneurial journey—from the idea stage to companies scaling up globally—from various perspectives.
Key topics of the event included the development of the startup ecosystem, entrepreneur-investor relationships, AI-driven business models, the scaling processes of technology startups, and strategies to boost Turkey’s global competitiveness. Expert speakers shared insights on how evolving economic and technological dynamics are impacting the world of entrepreneurship, while also presenting their forecasts for future business models to the participants.
At the summit: Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, Entrepreneurship & Investment, Entrepreneurship & Technology – During the panels and special sessions held under the headings Artificial Intelligence, Turkish Unicorns, and Startup Ecosystem, as well as Investor–Entrepreneur B2B Models, Turkey’s emerging startup culture, AI-powered business models, investor–entrepreneur collaborations, and global competitive strength were discussed from multiple perspectives. It was emphasized that AI-based solutions enhance corporate efficiency, create new investment opportunities, and strengthen the growth potential of technology-focused startups. Experts noted that AI and data-driven startups will play an increasingly prominent role in the investment ecosystem in the coming period.
Bringing together diverse stakeholders from the worlds of entrepreneurship and investment, the 2nd GEV Future Summit created a robust platform where ideas are transformed into value and connections into opportunities by uniting entrepreneurs, investors, the corporate sector, academia, civil society, leading representatives of the ecosystem, and media professionals under one roof.
As part of this initiative, the “Entrepreneur & Investor B2B Meetups” speed networking event—organized by GearUp and Inveo Ventures and hosted by startups.watch—provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors to build meaningful connections and explore potential investment and collaboration opportunities. Through the networking sessions held throughout the day, participants established direct contact and laid the groundwork for new partnerships.
About the Gedik Education Foundation
Founded on September 7, 1994, by Gedik Holding, the Gedik Education Foundation (GEV) draws on over 30 years of deep-rooted experience to support the equal participation of young people, women, and individuals with special needs in social life, with a focus on education, production, and sharing.
By establishing Istanbul Gedik University in 2010, GEV extended its vision to the academic sphere; through education, science, art, and social projects, it has reached tens of thousands of people and continues to cultivate qualified experts by strengthening industry-university collaboration.
Having provided free education to over 32,500 people to date, the Foundation continues to contribute to Turkey’s future through the Presidential Commendation Plaque, Certificates of Appreciation from the Ministry of National Education, and international certification programs under the umbrella of the International Institute of Resources (IIW).
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