On 15 September, Energy Shift Forum opened its autumn programme with an invitation-only evening in Istanbul. Leading energy investors, fund managers, family offices and energy companies came together around one question: how to move more capital, faster, into the energy transition.
The timing mattered. As COP31 approaches in Antalya this November, Türkiye is in the global spotlight, and the need for well-structured, investable opportunities has never been clearer. The capital is there and the projects are emerging. What is often missing is the right room, where investors, allocators and operators meet with a shared focus and trust. That is the room we set out to build.
No panels. No stage. No pitches. Just candid conversations about where investors see opportunity, what holds them back, and which partners they are looking for.
In the room
Institutional investors, venture and private equity fund managers, family offices, and strategy and finance leadership from Türkiye's leading energy and industrial groups — alongside representatives of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency.
Across the evening, conversations among investors kept returning to a few themes: where energy transition capital is finding real momentum in Türkiye and the wider region, which technologies are moving from pilot to bankable scale, and how investors can share risk and co-invest more effectively. Family offices and institutional investors compared notes on what they need to see before committing, and energy companies shared where they are looking for partners.
We also set out what comes next:
Where Energy Shift Capital stands going into the autumn, and how our deal-by-deal model connects investors with qualified Series A and later-stage opportunities, without blind-pool risk
The COP31 Global Energy Investment Forum, 13 November 2026, Antalya
Energy Shift Forum Davos, 20 January 2027, during WEF week
Our Investment Councils and Family Office Network, and how members access curated deal flow across five verticals: Battery Storage & Grid-Scale Flexibility · Nuclear & Advanced Energy Systems · AI & Energy Infrastructure · Green Hydrogen & Industrial Decarbonisation · Distributed Energy & Prosumer Networks
“The energy conversation and the data centre conversation used to happen in separate rooms.
They can't any more — AI infrastructure is an energy question before it is a technology question.
Spending an evening with investors who already understand that, ahead of COP31, was time well spent.”
Reşat Tanış — AI Infrastructure & Datacenter EPC Business Director, Yapı Merkezi Holding
“The Energy Shift Capital Investor Network Event was a great opportunity to connect with leading investors and players in the energy sector and gain valuable insights into emerging investment trends.
While AI and data centers dominate today’s conversations, energy sits at the heart of both. As venture capitalists, we are increasingly looking beyond AI to closely follow energy technologies and the opportunities they are creating.
Energy will be a defining investment theme in the years ahead, and Energy Shift Capital is building a valuable platform around this growing ecosystem.”
Günce Onur — GP, Startup Wise Guys
“Capital no longer simply chases returns; it increasingly follows the direction of the future.
As geopolitics, technology, energy and sustainability reshape the global economy, the winners will be those who can anticipate where capital will move next and have the conviction to invest ahead of everyone else.”
Emre Erdoğan — CEO, Çalık Renewables
“Beyond noisy marketing strategies and fleeting agendas, I hadn't realized how much I missed those substantive gatherings that bring analytical, systemic, and political perspectives to the same table.
Today was exceptionally insightful, focusing on energy strategies and geopolitical shifts across the Turkey, Europe, China, and US axis, alongside deep-dive discussions on investment and venture dynamics. Being able to read the priorities of different geographies through a shared visionary framework was truly eye-opening. Surrounded by professionals devoid of posturing and entirely focused on systemic depth, the experience was profoundly rewarding.
Even more importantly, breathing in that rare intellectual climate where no single individual acts as the "star," everyone contributes equally, and a genuine collective intelligence prevails was invaluable.
Substance-driven initiatives built on solid foundations grow quietly. ”
Turku Suna — Ecosystem Advisor & Innovation Strategist