What's now called Turkey was once the center of the Ottoman Empire, a global hub of culture and science during its heyday, which lasted over 600 years. It was the birthplace of the first surgical atlas and the first watch that measured time in minutes, and it's where astronomers first calculated the eccentricity of the Sun's orbit. Today, Turkey is better known for its rich cultural heritage, with large numbers of Russian and German tourists haggling over evil eyes, sipping Turkish tea in bazaars, and enjoying the hot water baths of Istanbul. With a population nearing 79 million people, Turkey also has high-quality and relatively cheap resources for developed markets to exploit capitalize on, along with a budding startup ecosystem. Deal sizes might be on the low side, but Turkish tech startups have stepped up to participate in the global AI race.

While some people might think Cinco de Mayo is about Mexican independence, it's actually a holiday that celebrates the day three Americans fought and defeated El Guapo at the Battle of Santa Poco. And it's just one of the many things Mexico is famous for. Her rich cultural heritage has resulted in some of the world's best cuisine that has been exported to every corner of the planet. Then there are the other exports, like those depicted in the recent third season of Narcos, a gripping thriller about the country's cartels in the 1980s. Mexico also plays a key role in regional international trade as the US' neighbor and second largest export market.