🎙 TRVC #12 — Ali Çebi: Crowdfunding, Startups & VC in Turkey

In this episode, Yunus Çelebiler sits down with Ali Çebi, the co-founder of Fongogo, Turkey’s pioneering crowdfunding platform that has evolved into a multi-faceted fundraising ecosystem for startups.Ali shares his personal journey from Wall Street investment banking to becoming a key player in Turkey’s early-stage tech financing scene. We dive deep into the evolution of crowdfunding in Turkey, how Fongogo navigated early regulatory challenges, the rise of angel investing, and why democratizing startup investment is critical to building a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.Ali also discusses the launch of their VC fund, how crowdfunding prepares startups for IPOs, and their goal of creating a “one-stop shop” for startup financing — from rewards-based to equity crowdfunding and eventually peer-to-peer lending.This episode is packed with insights for founders, investors, and anyone curious about how venture capital and crowdfunding intersect in emerging markets.

📍 Location: StartGate Studios, Maslak, Istanbul

👤 Guest: Ali Çebi, Co-Founder of Fongogo

🎧 Host: Yunus Çelebiler

⏱ Chapters

00:00 - Intro: Welcome to TRVC Ep. 12

00:20 - Who is Ali Çebi? Finance background & INSEAD

01:56 - Shift from investment banking to entrepreneurship

03:10 - Discovering angel investing in Turkey

05:00 - Turkey’s early VC scene & Golden Horn

06:30 - Birth of Fongogo: From Kickstarter to local crowdfunding

09:15 - Crowdfunding’s regulatory evolution

12:00 - Rewards-based vs. equity crowdfunding

14:35 - Fongogo’s three verticals and roadmap

17:00 - Creating a one-stop startup funding ecosystem

19:25 - The Fongogo VC Fund: Strategy & vision

22:00 - Fundraising challenges for Turkish startups

25:30 - The hybrid fund model: Merging VC & crowdfunding

28:00 - IPO as the new exit path in Turkey

30:15 - Opportunities & barriers for foreign investors

32:20 - How Turkey's ecosystem is maturing

35:00 - Cultural edge: Resilience of Turkish entrepreneurs

37:00 - Why early-stage funding matters most

39:00 - Fongogo’s thesis: Focused, practical, local exits

41:00 - Final thoughts & rapid-fire Q&A

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