Built in İzmir

Built in İzmir 2026 was a high-level access platform built to connect Türkiye's ambitious founders and companies directly with key decision makers from the Middle East.

Organised in partnership with YABİSAK and İzQ, and in collaboration with ENSİA, the summit went beyond a traditional conference format. It was structured to create real business outcomes through direct engagement, curated conversations, and pre-scheduled B2B meetings.

On 28 April, speakers and ecosystem leaders active in investment, cross-border expansion and ecosystem development from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon were in İzmir. Instead of firms spending months and significant budgets travelling across the Gulf to start relationships, the summit brought the regional actors directly to them.

Why attend

• Connect directly with key actors shaping the Middle East investment and business landscape
• Get closer to rising Gulf capital and fast-growing regional ecosystems
• Understand real investor expectations and decision-making criteria
• Access curated, pre-matched B2B meetings with high-level participants
• Build trust-based first connections that can evolve into long-term cross-border partnerships

What makes it different

• Not an academic conference: a market access platform
• Not theoretical insights: real operators and active investors
• Not random networking: curated and structured business matching
• Not a future promise: immediate access

Focus areas

• International growth and cross-border scaling
• GCC and broader Middle East market entry
• Investment readiness and access to capital
• Public and private ecosystem collaboration