ITU ARI Teknokent on Media
İTÜ Çekirdek, as a partner of TÜBİTAK for nearly 10 years, has organized the 1512-Entrepreneurship Support Program (BİGG), providing support exceeding 58 million TL to 239 startups. In the first call period of 2023, İTÜ Çekirdek, with 16 supported startups, became the organization that provided the most support. Registrations for the new period at İTÜ Çekirdek can be made until February 6th.
Since 2015, İTÜ Çekirdek has been a partner of TÜBİTAK in organizing the Individual Young Entrepreneurship Support Program (BİGG), providing startups with training in various areas such as project writing, entrepreneurship R&D, commercialization, and financial planning during the business plan preparation process. Within the framework of the program, İTÜ Çekirdek, as the implementing partner of TÜBİTAK BİGG, supports startups and brings them to a level where they can receive funding from TÜBİTAK, while continuing to provide support with its incubation center focused on commercialization and growth after funding. In the İTÜ Çekirdek BİGG program, startups were previously provided with support in the form of grants amounting to 450,000 TL, while with the new arrangement, the support amount provided to startups is increased to 900,000 TL and the grant format is converted into an investment format.
The rate of securing funding support from TÜBİTAK for startups at İTÜ Çekirdek exceeds 60%
With the TÜBİTAK BİGG program, İTÜ Çekirdek has provided support exceeding 58 million TL to a total of 239 startups since 2015, leveraging nearly a decade of experience. Entrepreneurs at İTÜ Çekirdek benefit from the network of İTÜ and İTÜ ARI Teknokent, expanding their business networks with contributions from over 60 stakeholder institutions and developing their projects with the assistance of over 500 mentors associated with İTÜ Çekirdek. Moreover, startups receive funding of up to 900,000 TL through the Turkey Development Fund, established by TÜBİTAK, in exchange for a 3% equity stake. This enables newly established companies to commence their activities with a valuation of approximately 30 million TL or around 1 million dollars, leveraging the strength of TÜBİTAK. In addition, İTÜ Çekirdek offers a support rate of 60%, which is twice the Turkish average.
Onur Serin, the founder of Cyberware, a cyber software and hardware system among the 16 startups that qualified for support in the first call period of the İTÜ Çekirdek BİGG program in 2023 through the collaboration with TÜBİTAK, commented on the application process, saying, "İTÜ Çekirdek stood out when we researched past experiences and success rates. After getting involved in the process, they demonstrated their differences with the pre-incubation opportunities they provided."
Özgür Ceylan, the founder of Pina Minds, another İTÜ Çekirdek BİGG initiative aiming to transform industries through technology and innovation, advised prospective applicants, saying, "Despite previously applying for a TÜBİTAK project and failing, we believed in ourselves and applied for the İTÜ Çekirdek BİGG program this time. At every stage of the process, through the training provided and the extensive mentor network, as well as through useful, constructive feedback on all documents and presentations, we developed our project. For those who have experienced the same situation as us, don't give up on believing in yourselves."
