How did you first become involved in the startup ecosystem in Turkey, then join the American scene, and eventually come to Budapest?

At the start of her career, as an university freshman, she began exploring the entrepreneurial landscape through the European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management, which took her to Western European countries like Germany. There, she was intrigued by her peers discussing building their own startups and investments, which led her to examine Turkey’s entrepreneurial scene. Around 2016, she noted the Turkish startup ecosystem, particularly driven by e-commerce, and observed significant acquisitions like Yemeksepeti by Delhi Hero.

Her engagement with the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation, an NGO fostering young entrepreneurs, was a key milestone.

“This NGO was established for young people, encouraging them to engage in both the ecosystem and entrepreneurial sectors. The goal is for them to potentially become founders, investors, operators, or other key players in the entrepreneurial landscape. My involvement with this organization began when I applied for their fellowship program, which consisted of six or seven interview steps. Successfully passing all these stages, I became a fellow at the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation. This experience marked a significant milestone in my career, because I started learning and meeting with people.”

As a fellow, she expanded her network significantly and this is a great opportunity in Ankara, where she grew up and studied, opened doors to an internship and significant connections in the startup world, including meeting professionals from 500 Istanbul.

This exposure piqued her interest in the investment and venture capital sector. She completed various internships across different industries, but none resonated with her as much as her experience in the entrepreneurial space. Her elective studies in finance and technology at university further solidified her interest in entrepreneurship.

Seeking to immerse herself in the investment world, she joined a Turkish-based Angel investor network, gaining valuable insights, especially from the support provided by angels to portfolio companies. This experience was enriching and formative, leading her to a significant opportunity at 500 Emerging Europe, marking a pivotal point in her career trajectory.

Why did you decide to move to Budapest? Was there any specific insider deal or reason behind this decision?

The decision to move to Budapest was influenced by the evolving focus of the 500 emerging Europe team, which later expanded more to cover Central Eastern Europe. This expansion unveiled numerous opportunities in different ecosystems, each with its own unique players and cultures.

Her journey began as a junior analyst, initially engaging with the Croatian market by chance. They were impressed by Croatia’s strong technical talent and emerging success stories, including two unicorns, Rimac and Infobib. Her role gradually expanded to include Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia, noting the similarities in characteristics, culture, and communication styles across these regions.

The choice to move to Hungary was strategic, as it served as a central location to effectively cover her assigned territories. Their extensive travel within the region solidified this decision, with Hungary offering easy access to the neighboring countries. The move was a professional choice, reflecting her commitment to their role, where they spent about 70% of their time in Hungary.

What do you take care of in your work? How does the concrete job look alike?

„Hungary has an amazing ecosystem. I really love how every generation of founders support the ecosystem. I didn’t highlight my love for my Hungarian ecosystem. Shout out to you guys, shout out to Startup Hungary, shout out to all these entrepreneurs who are now on top of their successful startups, but they are also giving back to the ecosystem.”

In their team’s structure she has considerable freedom to explore and propose deals. She can bring any deal to the table, and fully discuss it with the general partners, and even if a startup is initially rejected, they can keep it in the pipeline and re-evaluate. This flexibility allows them to wait for a startup to evolve into a potentially more interesting investment. She believes that such freedom, allowing the deal team to manage their own deal flow and build their own cases, should be a standard in the industry. They can repeatedly bring a deal forward for discussion until it is either accepted or rejected by the general partners, who make the final decision for the team.

How long does it take to close the deal with you?

On average, it takes three weeks from the time their general partners meet with the founders to close the deal. However, there are exceptions. It’s positive as it demonstrates flexibility and openness to reconsider decisions. If it’s a go-ahead, the process typically concludes in three weeks

What’s your specialty and what does exactly the early phase mean?

In fact, as early as you can think of. From the ideal stage to A-series. It depends, of course, on the round size and many other factors. They don’t have a specific area of choice, for that matter, they are really an industrial agnostic fund.

You said that the local entrepreneurs have special characteristics. Can you elaborate on that?

„It’s not just about the entrepreneurial character; it’s more about the characteristics of the ecosystem. In my experience, each ecosystem is supported by a non-profit organizations or governments or entrepreneurs. Especially these organizations especially partner up with international investors or local founders to support them. Founders in this region are highly motivated, especially in the B2B market, super skilled to learn how to scale to global. I’m particularly impressed every time by a strong technical talent pool here. That’s what the 500 VC would like to explore and take advantage of.”

What’s your strongest advice to an entrepreneur?

„Don’t be afraid to go and live in San Francisco at least for a few months and see how you can scale your business there. It doesn’t only have to be in the US, you might be focusing on a different market, but don’t underestimate yourself.”