GTA Global Summit 2026 Istanbul - Day 1: Opening Day
Global Tech Advocates brings its worldwide network of chapter leaders, investors and founders to Istanbul for the first GTA Global Summit in Türkiye.
The Opening Day is hosted by the Services Exporters' Association (HİB) at the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) in Yenibosna. The morning opens with Türkiye's hosts and government, introduces the Centre for Global Tech Advocacy, and turns to ClimateTech investors and London Tech Week. The afternoon belongs to the GTA network: a world tour of its chapters, its newest groups and its working groups.
Morning
09:00 Registration and coffee
10:00 Official opening. An introduction from Tech Türkiye Advocates co-lead Yıldız Tuğba Kara and a welcome from co-lead Ata Argüder. Opening remarks come from Dr Fatih Özer (Secretary General, HİB), and İlhan Bağören (Board Member, HİB) welcomes guests on behalf of the host. There are addresses from F. Derya Koç Tek (Head of Department, Ministry of Trade) and from Invest in Türkiye. Then Russ Shaw CBE on who Global Tech Advocates are, how they operate and where.
11:00 Introducing the Centre for Global Tech Advocacy. A fireside chat with Esther O'Callaghan OBE and Russ Shaw CBE on securing GTA's legacy, including the introduction of the Impact Atlas. The Centre opens for pledges on the day.
11:15 ClimateTech and the energy transition. A keynote from Jan Lozek (Managing Partner, Future Energy Ventures). Then a panel moderated by Ata Argüder, with Jan Lozek, İlker Temuzkuşu (Director, Zorlu Capital) and Deniz Emre Dağ (Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer, Borusan Holding).
12:00 From London to Istanbul: London Tech Week. Randel Bryan (Vice President, London Tech Week) and Olivia Soan (Strategic Partnerships & Startup Portfolio Manager, London Tech Week) on what London Tech Week offers founders and investors from Türkiye and across the GTA network.
12:15 Pass the mic. International delegates come on stage to introduce themselves, followed by the summit group photo.
12:30 Lunch and networking
Afternoon
13:30 GTA World Tour: the state of global tech. Russ Shaw CBE moderates a tour of the network one market at a time. It covers Türkiye and Central Asia, with Ata Argüder and IT Park Uzbekistan (to be confirmed), then Southeast Asia, China, the UK and Europe, the Americas, and Japan.
14:40 New GTA groups. The newest cities and countries joining the network are announced.
15:00 Coffee break
15:20 GTA Working Groups. Introducing GTA Cyber with Luis Novella, and GTA Innovation Funding with Richard Lowe and Chandila Fernando.
16:00 GTA Summits: from China and India to Istanbul. Russ Shaw CBE and Anders Nilsson on what the third summit brings.
16:25 Closing remarks from Ata Argüder and Yıldız Tuğba Kara, followed by the evening reception.
Confirmed international delegates include:
Russ Shaw CBE (Global Tech Advocates), Esther O'Callaghan OBE (Tech Netherlands Advocates; GTA Advisory Board), Jan Lozek and Başak Günver (Future Energy Ventures), Randel Bryan, Olivia Soan and Harriet Radcliffe (London Tech Week), Jeanette Carlsson (Tech Nordic Advocates), John Zai (Tech China Advocates), Richard Lowe (Tech West England Advocates), Chandila Fernando (GTA Innovation Funding), Jesse Witkowski (Tech Boston Advocates), Luis Novella (Tech Florida Advocates), Anders Nilsson (Tech Italy Advocates), Amor Maclang and Dr Alexander Titov (Tech Philippines Advocates), Aaron Sarma (Tech Malaysia Advocates), Rie Hamaguchi (Tech Japan Advocates; Osaka Prefectural Government), Manuel Amsallem Menendez (GTA Quantum Group), Andrew Wrobel (Reinvantage), Matic Boh (Seven Hills BPI).
Hosting them from Tech Türkiye Advocates: Ata Argüder, Yıldız Tuğba Kara and Baran Kılıçer.
Full running order: gtaistanbul2026.org/programme. The programme may change, and more speakers will be announced as they are confirmed.
Language: English. Business attire.