19 Sep Pegasus Lends Wings to ITU Çekirdek Startups!
Pegasus Airlines to Reward Startups on the Big Bang Startup Challenge Stage!
ITU Çekirdek, the “Best University Incubator in the World” and Turkey’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, has been partnering with entrepreneurs on their journey since 2011, under the leadership of ITU ARI Teknokent. In a newly signed collaboration, Pegasus Airlines has become ITU Çekirdek’s “Golden Stakeholder,” committing to support technology-focused startups and reward them on the Big Bang Startup Challenge stage, which will be held on December 18-19 this year.
ITU ARI Teknokent and Pegasus Airlines have formed a partnership within ITU Çekirdek to provide 360-degree support to entrepreneurs, creating and offering all the services needed for rapid development and opening global market channels for their products and services. As ITU Çekirdek’s “Golden Stakeholder,” Pegasus will support technology-focused startups by becoming a customer, sharing its network and industry knowledge, providing mentorship, and offering financial rewards. As part of this collaboration, Pegasus will reward successful startups at the Big Bang Startup Challenge, Turkey’s largest entrepreneurship event, which will take place at Uniq Istanbul on December 18-19 this year. Pegasus will focus not only on startups working in aviation and transportation but also on those developing technologies for smart living in the future.
Pegasus to Support Startups through its Innovation Center
Barış Fındık, Chief Information Officer of Pegasus Airlines, commented on the partnership: “At Pegasus, we invest in innovative technologies through our Innovation Centre to improve the guest experience and operational efficiency. Supporting startups in their growth journey through our collaboration with ITU Çekirdek is an important part of this effort. We thank ITU Çekirdek and wish all startups success”.
“We Are Strong with Our Stakeholders”
Prof. Dr. Attila Dikbaş, General Manager of ITU ARI Teknokent, shared his thoughts on the collaboration: “At ITU ARI Teknokent, we believe that the key to creating a strong and sustainable ecosystem lies in the partnerships we form with our stakeholders. With valuable stakeholders such as Pegasus Airlines, which supports entrepreneurship with its industry strength, we enhance the value of our programmes, provide a broader vision and support to our startups, and accelerate their journey to success. With ITU Çekirdek Incubation Centre’s 13 years of experience, we continue to expand our impact every year, enabling our startups to go from idea to global presence. So far, we have nurtured 4,500 technology start-ups through ITU Çekirdek and helped 1,600 of them to become companies. These startups have created jobs for 11,000 people and attracted more than $270 million in investment. By increasing our strength with our stakeholders, we will continue to achieve many more successes together.
