SSTEK A.Ş., one of the strategic investment platforms of the defense industry ecosystem, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a program held on January 27, 2026, at the HAB OSB Conference Hall. Speaking at the program, President of Defense Industries Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün emphasized that SSTEK is not merely an investment company, but an institutional leverage mechanism that supports the goal of independence in critical technologies. It was stated that SSTEK, established as a 100% subsidiary of the Presidency of Defense Industries by the decision of the Defense Industry Executive Committee dated March 9, 2016, has the core mission of contributing to Türkiye’s goal of full independence in critical technologies through investments that support the continuous development of the national defense industry. Pointing out that in the defense industry it is strategically important not only to develop platforms but also to build the underlying technologies that make those platforms possible, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün defined SSTEK’s compass in this context as the understanding of “Investing Today for the Defense Technology of the Future.” The emphasis that the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and SSTEK are two complementary forces advancing toward the same goal was one of the key messages of the speech.
An Investment Ecosystem Scaled Over 10 Years
The data shared regarding the ten-year performance revealed that the investment model has matured and gained scale. It was announced that since its establishment, SSTEK has carried out a total of 26 partnerships, exited 8 partnerships, and continues 18 partnerships actively. As of the end of 2025, it was stated that, together with its subsidiaries, a turnover exceeding 1 billion dollars was achieved, employment for 1,648 people was created, 114 intellectual property outputs were produced, and 100 projects were implemented. R&D investments were reported to have reached 5.656 billion TL, while the current value of the projects rose to 250 million dollars. This picture shows that SSTEK has transformed into not only a financial but also a technological and structural value creation mechanism.
Fund Architecture Strengthened with YİTF and Operational Discipline
The Innovative and Advanced Technologies Participation Venture Capital Investment Fund (YİTF), one of the important instruments of the investment ecosystem, was also among the prominent topics of the program. It was stated that the fund, which set out in 2021 with a limited number of investors, reached 33 investors and a size of 29.7 million dollars by 2025. It was shared that investments totaling 7.75 million dollars and 500 thousand euros have been made through the fund to date. Officials pointed out that this growth is a concrete indicator of the trust placed in the investment model. In the speech, SSTEK’s institutional reflex was defined through the concepts of dynamism, coordination, trust, and discipline. Recalling that opportunity windows in defense technologies are short-lived, it was conveyed that agile investment mechanisms increase the impact reflected in the field, and that investment evaluation processes are shaped by criteria such as defense potential, technology maturity, and competitive advantage.
Triple Strategic Positioning in the Ecosystem and the Vision for the Second 10 Years
SSTEK’s role in the defense industry ecosystem was defined as an investment lever that closes critical technology gaps, an accelerator that scales SMEs and startups, and a strategic bridge that connects deep technology to platforms. Through a structure that enables the establishment of new companies and provides partnerships and bridge financing to existing companies, support is provided to help SMEs transform their capabilities into capacity. In the vision for the company’s second decade, increasing the speed of commercialization of deep technologies, expanding the fund architecture with thematic sub-funds, and designing the export perspective from the design stage onward were identified as priority areas. It is aimed to accelerate the “from laboratory to field” transition process through more planned ecosystem coordination and to address global competition design at an early stage.
Positioning as a Strategic Investment Platform
The Presidency of Defense Industries announced that it aims to further advance SSTEK as a strategic investment platform that ensures the permanence of Türkiye’s independence in critical technologies, scales deep technology, feeds defense industry exports, and is capable of establishing partnerships on a global scale. The program concluded with messages of thanks to the SSTEK family and ecosystem stakeholders. Thanks were also extended to the Ankara Aerospace Specialized Organized Industrial Zone for hosting, and SSTEK’s 10th anniversary was evaluated as an institutional milestone of the approach of growing technology in the defense industry with an investment mindset.
Source: C4Defence
