Online Crowdfunding in Turkey

This thesis attempts to shed some light on the international applicability on globally rising crowdfunding phenomenon by placing it into the context of Turkish entrepreneurship. Approaching from an entrepreneurial finance perspective, this paper aims to contribute to the babystepping crowdfunding research and to add value to the Turkish entrepreneurship. In an effort to conduct a fruitful basis regarding the main research question of how crowdfunding may contribute to the development of Turkish entrepreneurship, this paper first reviews the available literature and depicts the crowdfunding phenomenon with its relevant definitions, dynamics and dimensions. Secondly, it lays the fundamentals of Turkish entrepreneurship and employs various measures to exhibit the strengths and weaknesses of the Turkish entrepreneurial scene. Thirdly, it incorporates a global comparison of American, German and Turkish crowdfunding markets. Following this multinational comparison, a new framework is created with respect to the local profile of Turkish entrepreneurship. This framework is then utilized in order to conclude the assessments regarding the embracability of online crowdfunding in Turkey and to make recommendations for the development of Turkish crowdfunding.