01 Şub Big Bang Becomes the Biggest Entrepreneurship Contest of the World
BigBang Becomes the Biggest Entrepreneurship Contest of the World: 17 Million TL for Entrepreneurs in One Day
Big Bang | Startup Challenge, which was organized by İTÜ Çekirdek, entrepreneurship incubation centre of İTÜ ARI Teknokent, Technology Development Region of İTÜ and is among the first three entrepreneurship contests that provide biggest funding for the entrepreneurs in the world, became world’s number one with the fund it provided to the entrepreneurs this year. Leaving behind the 11 thousand entrepreneurships, 20 finalists and some semi finalists attracting the attention of investors, who staged their entrepreneurships in the final event that took place in UNIQ Istanbul on 23rd November, took a share from investments and grants worth 17 million TL together with İTÜ Çekirdek entrepreneurships that attracted second tour investments. At the end of the final, Eyedius, Nanomik ve Scoutium were the three entrepreneurships that attracted the highest number of investments.
Big Bang | Startup Challenge, sixth of which was organized this year by İTÜ Çekirdek Early Stage Incubation Centre, which is ranked 18th among world’s university incubation centres and 8th in Europe, came to an end. 20 entrepreneurships that left very ambitious 10 thousand entrepreneurships behind and became entitled to take to the stage in the final that took place on 23 November were 3DRubber, Axolotbio, Bikoshu, B-Preg, Compocket, Ecogear, Eyedius, GmPly, Hagelson, Hootsumo, Meta-lol, Nanomik, Physhome, Porima, Rofoods Micro Market, Scoutium, Simularge, Sports&Merits, Telegrapher Labs and TrakTS. Among the initiaitives that competed vehemently to take a share from the grants and invetsments worth over 17 Million TL on the final stage, Eyedius was elected the highest-winning entrepreneurship with investments and award of 1 Million 390 Thousand TL in total. It was followed by Nanomik with 780 Thousand TL and Scoutium with 400 Thousand TL.
While the host İTÜ ARI Teknokent made investment worth 1 million TL, 14 investor companies, investment networks and 10 individual investors as well as over 40 funders, notably Elginkan Foundation, İstanbul Chamber of Industry, Uludağ Automotive Industry Exporters Union, Enerjisa, Technology Development Foundation of Turkey, ING Bank, Pegasus, Turkcell Arıkovanı, Cisco, Borsa İstanbul, Hepsiburada, Cardtek, Monitise, IBM and Microsoft provided investment and grant support to the entrepreneurs that will have an effect on the future.
İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karaca: “We will continue to bring successful entrepreneurships together with the right investors”
İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karaca, who stated that BigBanStartupChallange, which is among the top three entrepreneurship contests that provide the highest funds to the entrepreneurs in the world, took place this year with a higher rate of participation in comparison with the other years, said, “We have provided funding to a total of 1.150 entrepreneurships and 3.450 entrepreneurs since 2012 as İTÜ Çekirdek. The entrepreneurships that attracted investments worth a total of 32 million TL in total had a total turnover of 55 million TL and total valuation of 415 million TL. İTÜ Çekirdek, which enabled 175 entrepreneurships to succeed and incorporate in only 6 years, created more than 500 employments. These figures that we got demonstrate the success we have attained in the past 6 years. This year has been the reflection of 6 years full of success of İTÜ Çekirdek and BigBangStartup Challenge which we have completed with a challenging marathon. Higher number of entrepreneurships applied this year compared to previous years and the entrepreneurships that will have an effect on the future competed fiercely in line with the theme we have specified. We will continue to support entrepreneurship and bring successful business ideas together with the right investors.”
90 entrepreneurships that made it to the semi-final this year came together with visitors and investors in the event venue in the final event of BigBang where investors met many ambitious entrepreneurship ideas in many fields from education, arts, information technologies to finance, construction, food and health sector. In the event, which received broad participation from the business world, entrepreneurs and those who desire to witness the technology of the future, teams that were successful on the final stage will be included in İTÜ Çekirdek Incubation Centre and be able to benefit from all facilities to be provided by İTÜ Çekirdek for one year free of charge.
