Gaming startups kept dominating venture capital activity while funding in sectors such as financial technology went down
Startups in Türkiye raised $172 million across 87 investment rounds in the first half of 2026, with gaming companies continuing to dominate venture capital activity while funding in sectors such as financial technology remained subdued, according to data released by industry tracker startups.watch.
The figures were presented during the startups.watch second-quarter ecosystem event, where investors and entrepreneurs discussed funding trends and the outlook for Türkiye’s startup market.
Six companies — Grand Games, TaleMonster Games, Fimple, Lucida, Dataroid and Brix — accounted for roughly 75% of the capital raised during the six-month period, underscoring the concentration of investment in a small number of startups.
Gaming remained the country’s largest investment category, attracting $111.4 million, or nearly 65% of total startup funding, according to the report.
Elephant in the room: Gaming carries the entire ecosystem
Startups.watch founder Serkan Ünsal said the gaming industry continues to be the main engine of Türkiye’s startup ecosystem.
“There is an elephant in the room that nobody talks about,” Ünsal said. “At the moment, gaming startups are still carrying the entire ecosystem.”
By contrast, Türkiye’s fintech sector experienced a sharp slowdown. After raising $220.4 million in 2025, fintech startups secured just $16.6 million during the first half of 2026.
Artificial intelligence (AI) startups also remain in an early stage of development despite the technology attracting record levels of investment globally.
Ünsal noted that nearly half of the $16.1 billion invested in startups in the United Kingdom during the first six months of the year went to just seven AI companies. In comparison, 33 AI startups in Türkiye raised a combined $28.6 million over the same period.
He said Türkiye will need significantly larger funding rounds to build globally competitive AI companies capable of attracting international investors.
Photo: Startups.watch
