Turkey Brings 26 Tech Startups to Europe's VivaTech 2026

Turkey is putting its tech talent on the global stage at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, bringing 26 innovative startups to connect with international investors and industry leaders.

The country's Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir announced the delegation at the event, which runs through June 20 and attracts technology companies and investors from around the world. Turkey set up its own national pavilion to highlight its growing innovation ecosystem.

Fourteen of the participating startups come from the Turcorn 100 programme, a government initiative supporting high-growth technology companies with potential to reach valuations exceeding $1 billion. The name plays on "unicorn," the tech industry term for billion-dollar startups, but with a Turkish twist.

"This is a platform where technology startups from around the world meet and connect with investors," Kacir explained during his visit to Turkey's pavilion. The startups are presenting their products and services directly to potential backers while promoting Turkey's broader tech scene.

The numbers behind Turkey's tech boom tell an impressive story. The country now hosts more than 13,000 technology startups operating across 114 technoparks, including nearly 3,000 early-stage ventures just getting started.

The Ripple Effect

Turkey's tech ambitions extend far beyond this single event. The government has set a bold target of supporting 100,000 technology startups by 2030, nearly eight times the current number.

Officials also aim to increase the total valuation of Turkish "Turcorns" to $100 billion. That growth would create thousands of high-skilled jobs and position Turkey as a major player in global technology innovation.

The Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Presidency's Investment and Finance Office jointly support startups attending international platforms like VivaTech through the Turcorn 100 programme. This government backing helps young companies access the networks and funding they need to scale globally.

Kacir emphasized Turkey's commitment to developing homegrown technology. "We will continue to strengthen our ambition to be a country that develops its own domestic and national technology products and services with its own resources and people and can offer them competitively to the world," he said.

The push represents part of Turkey's National Technology Initiative, a comprehensive effort to build innovation capacity from the ground up. With over 13,000 startups already operating and government support expanding, Turkey is building the infrastructure for sustained tech growth that could reshape its economy for generations.