20 Jun Big Bang Startup Challenge Earns Another Honor at the Brandverse Awards!
A Tradition of Success Continues: Two Awards in Two Years
The winners of the 2025 Brandverse Awards, organised in collaboration with Marketing Türkiye and BoomSonar, have been announced.
Big Bang Startup Challenge 2024 — Turkey’s largest entrepreneurship event, hosted by ITU Çekirdek, the incubation centre of ITU ARI Teknokent — received the Silver Award in the PR – Event Management (B2B) category.
The award ceremony took place on June 18 at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti, where thousands of brands were evaluated by Deloitte Turkey.
Big Bang’s Impact Reached Beyond Borders
The communication campaign for Big Bang Startup Challenge 2024 reached more than 10 million people on social media. With support from 20 digital opinion leaders, the event gained significant visibility across digital platforms. Extensive coverage in print and broadcast media resulted in an earned advertising value of 5 million TL. The event was also streamed live to a global network of over 8,000 investors. The event was brought to life by the expert team at ITU ARI Teknokent, with HeyMo handling event management, Salt İletişim overseeing digital communications, and Brandworks Communication Consultancy leading PR efforts.
Big Bang 2024 Broke New Records
More than 8,000 people registered for the Big Bang Startup Challenge 2024, with over 3,500 attendees joining the two-day event in person at UNIQ Istanbul. The venue’s foyer area turned into a vibrant exhibition space where participants experienced groundbreaking startup products and solutions. The digital tunnel at the entrance told the story of ITU Çekirdek’s growth — from 1 to 1,000 startups. Startups across seven thematic stages showcased innovative technologies on the event’s opening day. From the opening performance to the final celebration, the event highlighted Big Bang’s evolution and the transformative impact of ITU Çekirdek on the startup ecosystem. A standout moment was the keynote by Ayşegül İldeniz, global technology leader, who shared her vision on future technologies and digital transformation. The event concluded with a powerful live performance by Sertab Erener, reflecting the dynamic and multifaceted spirit of Big Bang. Under the theme “The Next Wave,” the event welcomed the top 50 startups shaping the future — and set a new benchmark with a record-breaking 2.85 billion TL in prizes, grants, and investments.
The Countdown to Big Bang 2025 Has Begun
The region’s most anticipated entrepreneurship event will return this November, featuring two full days of inspiration, innovation, and investment. The most promising startups of the year will once again take the stage — and another wave of record-breaking resources is expected to be announced.
For more information about the event: https://bigbang.itucekirdek.com
