01 Aug ITU Çekirdek startups have received over $325 million in total investment to date!
ITU Çekirdek startups have received over $325 million in total investment to date!
In the first half of 2025, 29 ITU Çekirdek startups raised a total of $15.7 million in funding.
Under the leadership of ITU ARI Teknokent — Türkiye’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation — ITU Çekirdek has been supporting entrepreneurs since 2011. In the first half of this year, 29 startups within the ITU Çekirdek ecosystem secured $15.7 million in total investment through 31 different funding rounds. Each year, ITU Çekirdek supports over 500 startups with a 360-degree approach to growth, and in the first half of 2025, 70% of the startups that received investment were those developing software-based solutions.
Under the leadership of ITU ARI Teknokent — a key player in Türkiye’s technology-focused development — ITU Çekirdek has been accelerating the growth journeys of entrepreneurs since 2011. Supporting an average of 500 startups annually, ITU Çekirdek has created millions of dollars in added value for the Turkish economy. Over the past 14 years, it has supported more than 5,000 technology startups, contributing to the incorporation of 2,000 of them, and helping create employment for over 11,000 people — further amplifying its impact. In the first half of this year alone, 29 ITU Çekirdek startups secured a total of $15.7 million in investment. With this, total funding raised by ITU Çekirdek startups has surpassed $325 million, and their combined valuation has exceeded $3.2 billion.
ITU Çekirdek has also been expanding its local success to the global stage through its ITU Seed International Acceleration Program for the past four years, supporting international startups. ITU Seed has become a hub for foreign startups while also providing access to funding opportunities through Türkiye’s largest entrepreneurship event, Big Bang. To date, over 1,000 startups from more than 95 countries have applied to the program, and 140 of them have been accepted.
AI Startups Continue to Gain Momentum
“Thousands of entrepreneurs, hundreds of institutions, mentors, and investors have come together at ITU Çekirdek to expand tech entrepreneurship, support founders, and foster the development of high-value technologies,” said Prof. Dr. Attila Dikbaş, General Manager of ITU ARI Teknokent. “Every success achieved by our startups is the most valuable outcome of the support we provide. In the first half of the year, 29 of our startups participated in 31 investment rounds and made us proud. Looking at the sectoral breakdown of these investments, 70% were directed toward startups developing software-based solutions. Two AI startups — Spiky.ai, an advanced analytics platform, and Footprints AI, a retail media and data insights platform — led the way in attracting investment.
They were followed by Pulsetto, which develops healthtech products; Werover, working in renewable energy; Bitloops, supporting software developers with AI tools; Kolaj Co, which connects e-commerce brands with content creators; and Büyütech, a high-tech camera design and manufacturing firm. The remaining 22 standout startups continue their work in diverse sectors such as energy, health, environment, gaming, marketing, and fintech. This diversity is clear evidence that the ITU Çekirdek ecosystem delivers value not just in one field, but across multiple industries.
When looking at funding sources, we observe that ITU Çekirdek entrepreneurs typically secure pre-seed investment from within Türkiye. However, by the time they reach the seed stage, they begin attracting interest from global investors — with 75% of their investment amounts coming from international sources. We are proud of the growing success of our startups and continue to support every step of their journeys with the same enthusiasm we had on day one.
The 29 ITU Çekirdek startups that received investment in the first half of 2025 are:
Arkhe: Develops software that analyzes PCB inner layers to detect manufacturing defects and alignment issues, digitizing reverse engineering and quality control processes.
Bitloops: Builds a Frontend Copilot that transforms Figma designs into professional, responsive, reactive code while automatically processing visuals, fonts, and styles.
Bak-Tek: Creates an automated system that solves wastewater issues using natural methods, with no need for technical operators.
Büyütech: Develops and manufactures camera-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to enhance road safety.
Next-Gen Ecological Monitoring and Analysis Platform for Nature-Positive Investments: Develops a workflow to analyze and report ecological data for energy investments.
Footprints AI: Provides a next-generation retail media platform that monetizes omnichannel retail data.
Hergele Electric Scooter: Provides local electric scooter production and technological infrastructure for e-mobility sharing.
Heypungi: Builds a digital learning platform that includes pedagogically approved books, educational games, family activities, and language learning tools.
Hummingdrone: Offers AI-based aerial imaging, mapping, analysis, and autonomous drone solutions for the agriculture and energy sectors.
KamyondaPOS: Provides an alternative payment solution enabling individual truck drivers to collect payments via credit card in the logistics sector.
Kolaj: Develops an AI-powered marketplace that connects e-commerce brands with video content creators to deliver impactful ad videos.
Magnus: Builds a platform offering AI-based portfolio optimization and robo-advisory solutions.
Modular Analysis System with MEMS-Based and Bio-Nano-Sensor Integration: Uses biosensors and microfluidics to detect mycotoxins in apple juice, enhancing quality control.
OneNewOne: Transforms recruitment for both candidates and employers with an AI-powered hiring platform.
ORBINA: Offers a platform where knowledge workers engage with customers through a chat interface, automating support, sales, and marketing tasks via AI.
OyunMu (UPley): Develops a digital platform that teaches healthy communication skills through games and enhances motivation.
Pulsetto: Aims to reduce stress and anxiety while improving sleep with a wearable vagus nerve stimulator and mobile app.
Qready Quantum Optimization Module: Offers innovative solutions for large-scale optimization problems by combining classical and quantum algorithms in a hybrid structure.
SekGames: Develops cross-platform games where smartwatches are used as motion controllers integrated with smartphones.
Spiky.ai: Builds an analytics platform that integrates easily into education systems, offering performance assessment, learning path modeling, and advanced prediction.
Sporsepeti: Provides a digital platform that improves access to sports activities.
Sustainability Data Management Platform: Delivers a web-based development tool for monitoring sustainability performance using big data management.
Syntonym: Develops an AI-based platform that anonymizes visual data without metric loss and is compliant with GDPR and KVKK.
Tamamliyo.com: Offers insurtech solutions for quoting, selling, and authorizing health insurance policies.
Veur AI: Builds an ecosystem for healthcare professionals to develop and deploy their own AI solutions in radiology and digital pathology.
Virasoft: Provides digital pathology and telepathology solutions that enhance the diagnosis and analysis of cancer and other pathological diseases.
Werover: Delivers predictive maintenance solutions using AI and IoT technologies for the renewable energy sector.
Winfluencer: Offers an automated marketplace that connects influencers with e-commerce platforms using a revenue-sharing model.
Zephlen AI: Develops a customer assistant solution that analyzes customer feedback with AI to generate actionable insights.
