18 Apr Special marketing coaching for entrepreneurs: ITU Çekirdek and Marketing Türkiye Join Forces
34 technology startups in 7 different industries met with 28 marketing leaders
ITU ARI Teknokent has broken new ground in the world of entrepreneurship by leading the ecosystem with a vision to spread and globalise technology entrepreneurship in Türkiye. With the ITU Çekirdek Growth Programme, which has been running since 2016, supporting 270 start-ups and 533 entrepreneurs and paving the way for more than $181 million in investments, the structure aims to provide strategic competencies to entrepreneurs by focusing on marketing in the new period. The “Marketing Coaching” project, which was launched in this direction, was designed in cooperation with ITU ARI Teknokent and Marketing Türkiye. 34 technology entrepreneurs have started to receive sector-specific coaching through one-on-one meetings with 28 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs). This collaboration provides a new generation development opportunity based on mutual learning at the intersection of technology and marketing.
ITU Çekirdek, the incubation centre of ITU ARI Teknokent, which provides the most suitable environment for technology companies and entrepreneurs to develop and commercialise their solutions, continues to make strategic contributions to the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Growth Programme, launched in line with this vision, provides comprehensive acceleration support to startups in the scaling stage throughout the year. As of 2025, 34 startups are eligible to participate in the programme, operating in 7 different industry verticals (Energy, Learning/Ability, Automotive and Mobility, Life Sciences, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, E-Commerce and Platforms, and ITU Seed). In one of the most notable innovations this year, for the first time, startups received industry-specific coaching support from 28 experienced marketing leaders through a one-to-one matching model. Designed to help start-ups improve their marketing skills, position their brands more accurately and communicate effectively with their target audiences, this structure deepens the strategic vision of the Growth Programme. The coaching process, which brings together entrepreneurs and marketing leaders, is based on the approach of mutual learning, sharing experiences and creating value together, as well as knowledge transfer.
Startups will broaden their perspectives thanks to the “mutual learning” opportunity.
The ITU Çekirdek Growth Programme, developed by ITU ARI Teknokent specifically for advanced entrepreneurs, is increasing its value in the Turkish entrepreneurship ecosystem every year. The programme, which has so far supported 270 startups and 533 entrepreneurs, provides comprehensive support mechanisms not only in technical but also in strategic areas for startups to strengthen their position in the market. The startups that joined the Growth Programme by demonstrating success at the Big Bang Startup Challenge stage have so far received more than $181 million in investments, creating a total valuation of TL 23 billion. The programme’s contributions are not limited to financial achievements; it offers a more sustainable development opportunity by providing strategic perspectives on the market entry and growth processes of startups.
In this regard, the “Marketing Coaching Project”, which was launched for the first time this year in cooperation with ITU ARI Teknokent and Marketing Türkiye, aims to enhance the marketing skills of start-ups. Working in seven different sectors ranging from energy to healthcare, logistics to retail, 34 start-ups will receive one-on-one coaching from 28 marketing leaders who are experts in their fields and will gain strategic benefits in reaching a wider audience for their projects.
The project is an interactive platform based on mutual learning rather than a traditional training process. For example, an initiative developing energy efficiency solutions will receive strategic support from a CMO who is an expert in consumer behaviour, while a health initiative using artificial intelligence will have the opportunity to strengthen its market position by working directly with the industry’s leading marketing experts.
New power in exports” crosses borders with strategic support from technology to marketing.
ITU ARI Teknokent General Manager Prof. Dr. Attila Dikbaş said, “We want to make Türkiye’s technology exports more effective on a global scale by supporting them not only with technical competencies but also with strong marketing skills. This project is an area where innovative ideas will be nurtured for both our entrepreneurs and the marketing world. We sincerely believe that we will create new success stories.
Commenting on the programme, Günseli Özen, editor-in-chief of Marketing Türkiye, said: “The general opinion in our country is that product and production ideas are priceless. However, the best business ideas need to create demand to ensure their own sustainability. The answer to this demand is marketing. For many years, product-centred production brought people and their expectations to the fore in times of high supply and low demand. Today we talk about the ‘pull’ effect of marketing. The only obstacle for the startups in the ITU Çekirdek Growth Programme to become unicorns is to get the products to the people who need them. Marketing Türkiye is honoured to walk this path with the expertise of marketing leaders who are members of the C Level Club community, which Marketing Türkiye has positioned as a professional platform for 13 years, and with technology startups that will be remembered for their success in our country. I would like to thank our club members who took part in this project.
The matches of the ‘Marketing Coaching’ project coach initiative were as follows
Energy (Energy Stage)
– Arda Kılıç, Unilever / Aylara Power Solutions: Develops power electronic devices that solve voltage dips and swells, harmonics, imbalance and reactive power consumption problems in low voltage (LV) networks and provides solutions for electricity distribution companies, industrial facilities and the service sector.
– Gamze Numanoğlu, Aktif Bank / Bluearf: Thanks to its artificial intelligence-based sustainability management platform, it enables companies to calculate, analyse and report without the need for complex tasks, expertise and pre-calculations.
– Sezin Mızraklı Avalin, CMO / Deepwise Technology: It is a platform that creates a full-scale digital twin of energy distribution, telecom and local government institutions that provide location-based services, and provides remote access capabilities with artificial intelligence-based image processing technology.
– Arda Kılıç, Unilever / Exar: This is a technology company that accelerates digital transformation by delivering more effective and immersive experiences for businesses through virtual and augmented reality technologies.
– İlkay Keleş, White Panda / MIOTE: It is a maintenance assistant that prevents the breakdown of industrial electrical equipment.
– M. Naz Atmaca Özdurak, CMO / SENSED AI: Provides regular insight into the physical integrity and health of buildings and critical infrastructure using satellite-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and advanced artificial intelligence algorithms. The technology we have developed monitors potential anomalies in buildings and critical infrastructure, detecting slow deformations, sudden changes caused by natural or man-made disasters, and continuous structural irregularities.
– Osman Badur, Vestel / SmartIR: A deep technology company that assesses driving safety and health risks by analysing driver behaviour with artificial intelligence-based solutions.
Learning / Talent (with AI solutions) / (Skills & Success Stage):
– Şirin Işık, HUMM Organic / Elaves: This is an education and technology company that develops screenless smart toys that are suitable for the cognitive development of children aged 0-3 years, support multilingual acquisition and management applications for parents.
– Gülnur Uluğ, Muratbey Gıda / Meetgate: As an artificial intelligence-powered recruitment platform, it enables companies to conduct faster and more efficient recruitment processes, while allowing candidates to develop their skills and reach job opportunities.
– Sezin Mızraklı Avalin, CMO / Remote Tech Work: It was established to bring together technology companies and remote talent to solve the challenges in recruitment processes, simplify and accelerate the process and provide transparency; it offers a marketplace product that brings together software developers and companies with the best pre-test results by simplifying recruitment and optimising talent management thanks to its strong artificial intelligence strategy.
– Şirin Işık, HUMM Organic / Sorbil: Subscription-based organised education powered by artificial intelligence; personalised learning journeys and interactive artificial intelligence enable people who cannot achieve their learning goals to learn effectively.
Automotive & Mobility Stage:
– Emre Kurtoğlu, Teknosa / BBA VTOL: By developing and manufacturing observation and cargo drones capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) for use in challenging geographies, the company provides fast, reliable and effective solutions to hard-to-reach areas, especially in the health and defence sectors, and enables the transport of critical materials and environmental observations.
– Feray Karaman, Casper, Türkiye / Digiforming: This is a production technology that uses image processing for continuous monitoring, machine learning for early prediction of process degradation, calculation of ideal press parameters and autonomous control of the press to prevent quality defects.
– Esra Arslanbaş Kaynak, CMO FIRE-STOPPER: One of Türkiye’s first examples of industrial symbiosis, FIRE-STOPPER is a nano-fire suppressant developed with local facilities and green method using mining waste.
– İlknur Aksoy Şen, Tchibo Türkiye / Genoride: Genoride, which broke new ground by integrating the pedal support system developed for electric bicycles into a children’s bicycle and bringing it to market, is a manufacturing initiative that offers an innovative approach to the micromobility sector with its e-quad platform, which also incorporates its own technology.
– M. Naz Atmaca Özdurak, Blu TV, Warner Bros. Discovery / Infotainment Studio: Advanced audio/music processing technology for in-car infotainment systems with 10 ‘unique’ technological functions, creating a new business model between the automotive industry and production companies/artists.
– Gülsün Mersin, CMO / Pomeco: A sustainable bio-materials start-up that produces bio-based leather from pomegranate shell waste, focusing on circularity and environmental impact.
Life Science & Wellbeing Stage:
– Tolga Unvan, MediaMarkt Türkiye / Boly: It is a mobile application that allows users to discover courses in their area, play against competitors according to their skill level and win prizes while playing.
– Selda Sakaroğlu Solak, Jumbo Türkiye / Corpowid: By making websites accessible to everyone, it provides equal access to the digital world for people with disabilities.
– Gökçe Kunt, Flo Group / Omica: Omica Research and Innovation is a research and innovation company that provides innovative solutions in the field of biotechnology and aims to be a leader in the global market with locally developed non-animal testing platforms.
– Özlem Zülal, Bupa Türkiye / Viseur AI: It provides an ecosystem (SaaS) where healthcare professionals can develop their own artificial intelligence products for diagnosis and treatment in radiology and digital pathology and use them in their own business environment.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Machinery & AI Stage):
– Nazım Erdoğan, Sahibinden.com / Connected Wise: Intelligent traffic signs and low-cost in-vehicle devices provide image-based technologies that maintain communication while driving outside the connected infrastructure.
– Zümrüt Tamer, CMO / Optimimax: An innovative eco-design software powered by artificial intelligence that enables manufacturing companies to predict and minimise environmental impact in product design processes and achieve sustainable production.
– Emre Kurtoğlu, Teknosa / Remora: Produces unmanned underwater robots that can perform surface cleaning and non-destructive testing of yachts, boats and ships without going ashore.
– Oğuzhan Aslan, Sisal Şans / Rownd Precision: This is an initiative that designs and develops production benches that can be used by professionals in the industry in a way that is easily accessible and usable by everyone.
E-commerce and Platforms (E-COMM & Platforms Stage):
– Tuğba Şen Demirci, Mado / GlanceAI: It is a SaaS platform that provides its customers with services, technologies and APIs in the field of end-to-end 3D content production through various in-house technology developments.
– Selvi Talipoğlu, Hopi / Nativia Technology: She develops innovative technologies that enrich the user experience in many sectors from education to healthcare, retail to entertainment by providing artificial intelligence-based holographic solutions.
– Zeynep Ege Dura, Edenred Türkiye / Nodify Bilişim: It is a process automation and document management platform that easily integrates with ERPs and CRMs, enabling companies to efficiently digitise their operations by adapting their unique business processes without writing code.
– Pınar Togay, Beymen Club / Omnitive: A comprehensive, flexible, cloud-based omnichannel retail platform (ORP) that connects online to offline and connects customers to inventory across all channels in the most efficient way.
– Murat Nur Colakoglu, L’Oréal Türkiye / Pushouse: A platform that provides automated marketing messages and customer communication via WhatsApp for e-commerce businesses.
– Aslı Eren Şengezer, Sagra Grup / Waste Log: This is a mobile application that can match waste separated at source with the right licensed companies.
ITU SEED:
– Nazım Erdoğan, Sahibinden.com / Bitloops: A front-end assistant that converts Figma designs into professional, responsive React code and automatically manages images, fonts and styles.
– Cemil Hayri Durgun, Ex-Peyman / Fanera: Bringing together football fans around the world with interactive, web3-powered content and monetisation opportunities.
– Gökçen Akyol Yamaner, Flormar / TailorCast: Creates personalised product page listings for e-commerce based on shoppers’ needs and context, displaying the right offer in real-time on websites or mobile apps.
