28 May HUBrica Program to Back Startups in Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainability
21.05.2025
HUBrica Program to Back Startups in Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainability
Halkbank, which leads the entrepreneurship ecosystem not only with financial support but also with strong programs, and ITU ARI Teknokent, which works to develop, expand, and bring Turkish technology entrepreneurship to the global stage, have signed a strategic collaboration to accelerate the growth of startups. Under Halkbank’s HUBrica Acceleration Program, a special program has been launched for fintech, artificial intelligence, and sustainability-focused startups, in cooperation with ITU Çekirdek, the incubation center of ITU ARI Teknokent. Entrepreneurs wishing to participate in the program can apply at itucekirdek.com/hubrica until June 30, 2025.
Halkbank and ITU ARI Teknokent have signed an important collaboration to increase the potential of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and create room for new breakthroughs in various sectors. As part of this collaboration, the HUBrica Acceleration Program will be run this year through ITU Çekirdek. The program is designed specifically for entrepreneurs working in fintech, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. The application deadline is June 30, 2025.
The HUBrica Acceleration Program is designed to support entrepreneurs in their business development, sales, investment, and internationalization processes. Throughout the program, entrepreneurs will benefit from entrepreneurship training, mentoring, one-on-one consultancy sessions, workshops, meetings with Halkbank executives, potential collaborations with the bank, and access to global networks.
Participants in the program will also have access to more than 80 investors, over 500 professional mentors, and more than 45 opportunities provided by ITU Çekirdek, including cloud systems and accounting support. In addition, they will benefit from ITU ARI Teknokent’s strong network through networking events and internationalization supports. Successful startups will also have the chance to take the stage at Big Bang Startup Challenge, Türkiye’s largest entrepreneurship event.
Following the application process, a kick-off event will be held in July 2025 for the selected startups. After a five-week intensive training and development process, the program will conclude with a Demo Day event in October 2025.
Strategic Support from Halkbank for the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Highlighting that fintech, artificial intelligence, and sustainability-focused startups are among the driving forces shaping the economy of the future, Murat Yıldırım, Deputy General Manager of SME Banking at Halkbank, stated:
“At Halkbank, we act with the understanding of investing not only in today’s needs but also in the vision of tomorrow. In this context, we see the HUBrica Acceleration Program we have launched in collaboration with ITU ARI Teknokent as a critical step that will increase our country’s economic growth capacity and global competitiveness. With HUBrica, our goal is to go beyond providing financial support to entrepreneurs and offer them qualified mentoring, comprehensive training, and access to international business networks. In this way, we encourage innovative ideas to scale rapidly and turn into strong success stories in global markets. As Halkbank, we remain committed to being one of the strongest supporters of entrepreneurs who are building the future.”
“Our Goal is to Turn Local Success into Global Stories”
Commenting on the collaboration with Halkbank, Prof. Dr. Attila Dikbaş, General Manager of ITU ARI Teknokent, stated:
“At ITU ARI Teknokent, we remain steadfast in our mission to empower entrepreneurs from the ideation phase all the way to global expansion. Through our strategic collaboration with Halkbank, we are launching a comprehensive acceleration program tailored for startups operating in critical verticals such as fintech, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. This initiative will provide entrepreneurs with robust support not only in training, but also across investment readiness, business development, and commercialization pathways.
The active engagement of established corporations in the entrepreneurial ecosystem plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation within industries and enabling institutions to adopt more agile, technology-driven business models. Halkbank’s forward-thinking approach represents a decisive step toward redefining the future of banking and financial technologies, well beyond the needs of today. Our ambition is to transform local achievements into global success stories—contributing sustainable value to Türkiye’s innovation landscape and reinforcing its position as a global hub for high-tech entrepreneurship.”
HUBrica is designed for tech-oriented startups that are developing fintech, sustainability and AI solutions and looking to scale up. Entrepreneurs aiming for global success can apply for this special program organised by ITU Çekirdek via itucekirdek.com/hubrica
