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EMERGE defines itself as a community-driven platform that aims to connect startups, talents, and global investors. EMERGE 2023 was held on 2-3 October in Istanbul and was visited by hundreds of individuals and companies.
Honestly, I was a little bit skeptical about this event. I really don't know why. But luckily, the event was beyond my expectations. It had a lot of visitors, and we made many meaningful connections. Here are the reasons why I enjoyed the event.
Let's start with the basics. The event was at 42 Maslak. It isn't a secret that central and local governments desire to make Istanbul a startup hub. This aim includes more than one district. Maslak is one of them, close to the central business district, accessible, and has the resources that startups need. The revenue and the event were well organized, and all startups had small but effective stands. They were visible, ready to communicate, and not too close.
The best part of physical events is meeting the new startups for me. It has always been like that. Actually, the point of the event was to meet investors. But knowing all these startups was exciting. And some of them discovered how our solutions can ease their business processes!
The pitch challenge was also inspiring. Seeing all these new ideas and following the trends that shape the startup ecosystem was enlightening. I, as a representative of Techsign, attended the challenge too. Sadly we didn't make the finals, but there were a lot of amazing ideas, so no hard feelings, and cheers to the winners.
Maybe we didn't win any reward, but we got in contact with new investors. In Istanbul, we already know almost every VC; honestly, it is not a big ecosystem. The representatives of Turkish VCs attended the conference, and additionally, there were many international investors.
Most investors were angels, but there were VCs with larger ticket sizes. They were all engaged and glad to be part of the event. So, the energy of the event was high and positive.
Personally, my favorite session was the first day's investor breakfast and roundtable discussions. I joined the "investments in late-stage" session, it was inspiring. Both of the two sides, investors and startups joined this roundtable, and we shared experiences.
Beyond the roundtables, the program was full and satisfying. The only disappointment was seeing the mayor on the screen, not on the stage. Come on guys, it is cheating. But the mayor's message was clear: "We are doing our best to create a technology and startup-friendly city, let's come to Istanbul!" Totally agree, Mr. Mayor!
EMERGE 2023 was a huge opportunity to create a network. Getting to know all these new startups, seeing the newest trends, sharing our experiences, and making contacts with new investors were useful for us. We are excited to move forward with the leads we got.
