Kaan Akın - From Hackquarters to Tenity
TRVC episode 32
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about recording TRVC over the past year is that every guest gives me a slightly different lens through which to understand the Turkish startup ecosystem.
This week, that lens comes from Kaan Akın, Managing Partner at Tenity. (This episode is in Turkish.)
Now based on London, Kaan has worn many hats over the past decade: founder of the accelerator Hackquarters, builder of corporate innovation programs, angel investor, and now Managing Partner at Tenity. Created from the merger of Hackquarters and Swiss accelerator F10, Tenity now has roughly 230m USD in assets under management with investments in over 120 startups. That background makes for a fascinating perspective on how startups, corporates, accelerators, and venture capital all fit together.
Our conversation starts with the story of Hackquarters and follows its journey to becoming part of Tenity. Along the way, we discuss questions that are becoming increasingly relevant—not just for founders in Turkey, but for anyone interested in innovation:
How useful are accelerator programs today?
Does corporate innovation create real value, or is it mostly theatre?
How is venture capital changing in the age of AI?
Why are fundraising dynamics shifting?
I also enjoyed hearing his reflections on Turkey as a startup market. His perspective is nuanced: Turkey has exceptional founders and technical talent, but companies that aspire to build globally often benefit from thinking internationally much earlier than they traditionally have.
We finish with a Rapid Fire round covering missed investments, underrated founder traits, sectors he’d never invest in, and his book and podcast recommendations.
This is episode #32 of TRVC.
When I started the podcast, I set myself the goal of having 100 conversations with investors and the people building the Turkish startup ecosystem. The idea was simple: create a long-form archive of the people, ideas, and debates shaping venture capital and entrepreneurship in Turkey, with many episodes in English.
Thirty-two conversations in, I’m even more convinced it was the right project.
If you’ve been following the journey, thank you. And if this is your first episode, I hope you’ll join us for the next 68.
If you've enjoyed following my journey, the biggest way you can support the project is simply to share these conversations with others who care about the Turkish startup ecosystem. I'd also love your feedback: get in touch through LinkedIn or just leave a comment.