Istanbul remains Türkiye’s leading startup city, but Ankara and Izmir are growing faster within the top three. Their scores rose 69.8% and 61.5%, respectively, against Istanbul’s 28.2% in the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026. Development beyond the largest hub is becoming a distinct feature of the country’s technology landscape.
Ankara climbed 38 places to 206th globally and Izmir rose 51 places to 384th. Istanbul ranked 45th worldwide and ninth in Europe. These changes concern composite ecosystem scores, not venture investment growth.
| Ecosystem | Global rank | Score | Score change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | 45 | 23.522 | 28.2 |
| Ankara | 206 | 3.549 | 69.8 |
| Izmir | 384 | 1.21 | 61.5 |
Faster growth from a smaller base
Istanbul’s score is roughly 6.6 times Ankara’s. Faster growth in the second hub therefore does not indicate an imminent change of leader. Additional locations are gaining prominence while a substantial accumulated gap remains.
For founders, scale and momentum send different signals. Istanbul has the country’s strongest overall ecosystem score; Ankara and Izmir are advancing more rapidly from smaller bases. A growth percentage alone is insufficient for choosing an operating location.
Sector fit matters
The report identifies Software & Data as Istanbul’s strongest industry, ranked 38th globally. Türkiye ranks 21st in Gaming. These results concern different geographical levels and do not establish a uniform specialisation across all cities.
A potential partner still needs relevant product experience, customer access and a presence in the target market. A city’s general reputation cannot replace that assessment.
A broader network of locations
Five of Türkiye’s six ranked cities improved their positions. That supports looking beyond the largest hub when assessing the country. Azerbaijani businesses can widen their partner search to Ankara and Izmir, with commercial outcomes depending on demand and partnership quality rather than ranking position.
