6 startups, 1 investment. Can you guess which one?
Published about 7 hours ago • 2 min read
Brainwaves by Burak Büyükdemir
Field notes from 26 years of investing in early-stage startups.
April 13, 2026
6 startups, 1 investment. Can you guess which one?
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Last few weeks I met some incredible founders. I’m sharing six of them with you today.
Here’s the twist: I’ve already decided to invest in one (or more) of these startups. I’m not telling you which one. But I want you to guess.
I’ll reveal my investment in the coming months. Let’s see if we think alike.
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01
Deep Root Biolabs
Developing biomolecule-based plant enhancement technology to improve soil health, crop resilience, pollutant extraction, and critical mineral concentration for agriculture and environmental remediation.
deeprootbio.com →
02
Origenity
A biotechnology startup focused on expanding the ability to design and engineer biological systems. Pushing the boundaries of synthetic biology.
origenity.com →
03
Starsuit
Custom-fit programmable fabric and chainmail-based mechanical counterpressure garments for spaceflight and medical compression applications. Yes, they’re literally building space suits.
starsuit.co →
04
Muse Bio
An at-home menstrual blood collection and stem cell preservation platform to support regenerative medicine research and future personalized wellness applications.
mycells.bio →
05
ExpeditionX
Fully autonomous underwater micro-drone systems and cloud software for defense, maritime security, and subsea inspection. Think autonomous submarines, but tiny.
expeditionx.com →
06
Hangjam
A consumer AI chat and roleplay app that lets users create and interact with AI characters and stories. Monetized via in-app purchases and subscriptions.
hangjam.ai →
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So — which one did I invest in?
Biotech for soil? Space suits? Underwater drones? Stem cells from menstrual blood? An AI character app?
Think about what you would invest in. Think about why. That exercise alone is more valuable than most pitch events.
I’ll share my decision — and the reasoning behind it — in a future issue.
Reply to this email with your guess. I read every one.
Until next time,
Burak
Founder & Solo GP, Startupist Ventures Fund
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Burak Büyükdemir
Founder & Solo GP, Startupist Ventures Fund · Startup Istanbul
Founder of Etohum & Startup Istanbul. Solo GP at Startupist Ventures. 26+ years building startup ecosystems across 170 countries.
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