The Global Startup Awards Grand Final came to Istanbul
For the first time in its twelve-year history, the Global Startup Awards held its Grand Final in Türkiye. Here is what happened over two days in Istanbul.
On 24 and 25 September 2024, the Global Startup Awards held its Grand Final in Istanbul. It was the twelfth edition of the awards and the first time the final came to Türkiye. Start-IST, the awards' country partner for Türkiye since 2019, brought it here and organized it.
Two days, two venues
The first day was a summit at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. Founders, investors, venture capital firms and ecosystem partners met for panels and workshops on investment, growth, law and cybersecurity.
The second day ended with the awards ceremony and gala dinner at Esma Sultan Yalısı on the Bosphorus, where twelve winners received their awards.
The numbers behind the night
More than 32,000 startups applied. Finalists and winners were chosen through more than 110,000 public votes from 120 countries.
Garanti BBVA was the lead sponsor, and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's Tech Istanbul supported the event.
Why it matters for Türkiye
Hosting the final gave Turkish founders a stage in front of a global jury, international partners and a large investor network, without leaving the country. For Start-IST, it was the result of five years of building the Türkiye chapter of the awards.
Interested in partnering on the next edition? Get in touch.