Time to Build: Applications Now Open to Founder Institute Turkey Spring 2023

Founder First, Founder Always. Join us in 2022: Founder Institute is the #1 place in the world to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses.

Today’s economic 'New Normal' is full of reshuffling industries, and new problems in need of solutions - now is a time for entrepreneurs to act.

Whether you need to test and validate early hypotheses before making a large financial commitment to your startup idea, or you are ready to push your startup to the next level through aggressive weekly growth sprints to refine your vision, improve key metrics, and prepare for investor diligence, Founder Institute has the proven processes and network to help you do it.

If you could use a structured process that tells you what to focus on when, and a lifetime of support from Ankara's top investors and entrepreneurs, then apply to the Turkey Spring 2023 Founder Institute today.

We will be hosting several free startup events in Ankara over the coming weeks, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs all from the comfort of home:

Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 3:00am, May 06, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/370085
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 3:00am, May 08, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/366580
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Nathan Beckord: 8:00pm, May 12, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/366358
Future-proofing CPG Brands: Key Strategies for Sustainable Growth: 5:00pm, May 15, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/370939
Lessons Learned Raising from Top Silicon Valley VCs: AMA with Rajeev Behera: 7:00pm, May 29, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/371182
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 8:00pm, Jun 02, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/370528
How to Build Your MVP Using Artificial Intelligence : 8:00pm, Jun 04, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/371317
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 3:00am, Jun 10, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/370880
FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 8:00pm, Jun 23, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/371727
Startup Finance & Banking Basics: AMA with Grasshopper Bank: 8:00pm, Jun 25, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/371927
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 8:00pm, Jun 30, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/371569
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 8:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (Europe/Istanbul): https://FI.co/e/370301

See all upcoming events

Make better, faster business decisions in 2022 by sharing your latest progress, challenges, and strategies for constant feedback and evaluation from our expert mentors and advisors, every step of the way–scale your team, develop new business opportunities, and recruit an amazing advisory board with the world's largest network of international startup founders, CEOs, advisors, and investors.

The Ankara accelerator is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Alperen Zeki Gokmen (Product Pioneer , The Brutally Honest), Basak Ozcan (General Manager, Garaj X Tekmer), Beliz Bediz Sinan (Partner, YellowX OU), Ozan Sonmez (Founding Partner, YellowX Innovators). In addition, some of Ankara's top entrepreneurs will be participating as mentors in the program, including:

Abdulrahman Aljiffry: Partner, 500 Global
Adam Matalon: Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer, ThermaGEL Innovations
Adam Berk: Manager, Lean Startup Co.
Adil Oran: Assoc. Prof. , Abdullah Gül University
Ahmet Batı: Co-founder, Innology
Ahmet Saraçoğlu
Ahmet Bahadır Özdemir: Co-Founder, Airalo
Ali Halabi: CEO, Volt Lines
Ali Hilli: Head of CER, Zain Iraq
Ali Rıza Ersoy: Founder, ION Academy
Alperen Zeki Gokmen: Product Pioneer, The Brutally Honest
Altan Küçükçınar: Partner, Diffusion Capital Partners
Amal Dokhan: Partner MENA, 500 Startups
Amal Dokhan: CEO , Global Entrepreneurship Network GEN Saudi at GEN Global
Amin Shanaa: Founder, Startups
Amin Shanaa, JWAR
Aral Barkın Arak: General Secretary, TÜGİM - Tüm Girişimci ve İş Mentorları Derneği
Aras Bilgen: UX Consultant / Trainer, Aras Bilgen
Arda Askin: Managing Director, StartersHub
Arın Özkula: General Partner, 500 Startups
Artun Sukan: Investment Manager, IP Group
Ata Gür: Co-Founder, Frizbit
Atil Erken: General Partner, Collective Spark
Aurelie Guerrieri: CMO, Open Systems
Aydın Öztunalı: Cofounder, KFD Investment Consulting
Aykut Hocaoglu: Head of Entrepreneurship Programs and Ecosystem Development, Arcelik Garage
Aylin Şahin: CEO, Igniters Tech Consulting
Ayşe Şen: Entrepreneurship Expert, RTTP, Yaşar University
Ayşegül Özkavukcu: Business Development Manager, Migros Ticaret A.Ş.
Aysun Demirdogen: Managing Partner, Technology Transfer Professional, Cevelyn
Aziz Dostgül: Investment Associate, TechONE VC
Baldan Colak: Founder, Miel PR
Barış Okur: Co-founder, Quin
Başak Özcan: General Manager, Garaj X TEKMER
Bastian Best: CEO, BESTPATENT
Batuhan Baybali: Startup program leader , FARK LABS
Beliz Sinan
Beliz Bediz Sinan: Partner, The Brutally Honest
Berc Cubukciyan: Senior Manager, Maven Insights and Solutions
Beril Karabulut: Design Lead, Quin
Berkay Mollamustafaoglu: General Partner, ScaleX Ventures
Berna Aksoy: Growth Lead, Talentmelon
Beybin Esen: COO, Kimola
Billur Buse Elmas: Partner, Elmas Consulting
Birce Ciravoğlu: CEO Office Director, Papara
Bora Yılmaz
Bora Sürmeli: Senior Agricultural Finance Specialist, The World Bank
Bulent Yilmaz: Founder, Liberro
Bulent Buyuksayar: Managing Director , SmartStarts
Bülent Çaka: Vice President, ScaleX
Burak Çevik: Co-Founder / UX Designer, ITUX - Atölye
Burak Keskik: Technology Transfer Office Manager, Teknopark Istanbul
Burak Dayioglu: Angel Investor
Burcu Coşkun Şengül: Co-founder, Kuixo
Buryan Turan: CEO, SIMULARGE
Çağrı Yüzbaşıoğlü: Founder, ISSD
Can Algül: Co-Founder & CEO, Pubinno
Carla Tanas: Owner, Industry Disruptors - Game Changers
Carlo Asta: Business Designer, H-Farm
Cedric Tawil, Montreal International
Celal Vatansever: Head of Open Innovation, Arcelik Garage
Ceren Sungu Kalpaklıoğlu: Founder, Pabbler
Demirhan Buyukozcu: Co-Founder, V-count
Demirhan Erim: Co-Founder & CEO, ulouder
Denis Oakley: Director, Denis Oakley & Co
Deniz Satiroglu: VC Associate, StartersHub
Dilek Dayinlarli: Founder, Scale-x
Dinçer Sözütok: Cofounder, Onlock
Dogan Taskent: Innovation Manager, Atabay Ilac
Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
Dr. Semih Kumluk: AI Leader, PwC
Dr. Ismail Arı: Director of TTO and Entrepreneurship Center, Özyegin University
Duran Cesur: Investor, Vinci Venture Capital
Duygu Kutluoğlu Kılıç: Co-Founder, CEO, FineDine
Ebin Elavathingal: Director, MERSTRA Foundation / Next Market
Elena Pallotta: Strategy and Innovation Culture , H-Farm
Elif Gedikli: Portfolio Manager, Teknoloji Yatırım
Emin Okutan: Co-Founder and CEO, Viveka
Emir Uzunoglu: Manager, Responsible Solutions Limited
Emre Fadıllıoğlu: Co-founder and CEO, App Samurai
Emre Taş: CEO, Alictus
Enad Kanaan: Co-Founder, The BrainChain
Erdem Lafçı: Cofounder , Apps
Eren Bali: Chairman & Co-founder, Udemy
Eren Bali: Founder, Udemy, Carbon Health
Eren Merzeci: Business Development Manager, Çalık Enerji A.Ş.
Erhan Ertan: Cofounder, Neurocess
Evren Bükülmez: Manager, TTGV
Ferdi Cildiz: Senior Product Designer, Community Gaming
Ferhat Demir: QGroup, QGroup
Fevzi Gökaliler: Export Marketing Manager, Pınar
Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Cofounder , Vitamin C&S Coaching
Gonca Gulser: Co-founder, Quin AI
Gülcan Ergün: Co-founder, GESPRO
Gülce Horatacı: Investment Manager, StartersHub
GULSAH CAKIR: Founder, X Mind Studio
Gülşah Gulser: Co-Founder, Quin AI
Gunce Onur: Founder, The New Rising
Gurol Uzenc: Manager, Cube Incubation
Hakan Boğazpınar: Co-founder, VENN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CONSULTANCY
Hakan Erten: Founder, Nova Nora Danışmanlık A.Ş.
Hakan Cetinkaya: Founder, 112 Company
Halime Dilan Akbaş: Chief Innovation & Culture Officer, Viveka
Hasan Basri Tosun: Cofounder, Sensgreen
Hicham Lamrani: Founder, You are in
Hilal Kara: Co-founder, PATENT EFFECT
Hüseyin Aslan: Co-founder, Kapsam Denetim
Hüseyin Güler: Innovation Orchestrator, KEAS
Ibrahim Faza: GM, JordanStart
İffet İyigün Meydanlı: FOUNDER, M2I CONSULTANCY
İlker Köksal: Author, Founder's FAQ
İlknur İlkyaz Gül: General Manager, Driventure
Jimmy J.P. Snoek: Co-Founder & CEO, Tykn
Kaan Eren: Investment Manager, 500 Startups
Kadir Ceran: Founder & Managing Director, KiRi Advanced Research & Consultancy
Kamer Kemerkaya
Kemal Apaydın
Kemal Aygör: Senior Licensing Manager, VESTEL
Kerem Erikçi
Kerem Çalışkan
Kerem Gürbilek: Venture Capital Senior Analyst, Logo Ventures
Khalid Maliki: Co-Founder & Managing Director, Tykn
Koray Bahar: Founder & CEO, FigoPara
Kuntay Aktaş: CEO, BTech
Kutlu Kazanci, Creative Destruction Lab
Kutluhan Hakan: Founder, TicketO Mobility
Leyla Taghizade: Founder, Reseptron
Mark Searle: Lecturer and Industry Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
Mehmet Akgün: Founder, Mobixa
Mehmet Gulez: Innovation Leader - Associated Partner, EY
Mehmet Memecan: Founder & CEO, Tarfin
Mehru Ozturk: General Manager, Entrepreneurship Foundation
Melda Polat: Co-Founder, M2I Danışmanlık
Merih Alphan Karadeniz
M. Erşad Zor: Head of Data, StartupCentrum
Merthan Öztürk
Mert Hilmi Iseri: Board Member, Academy for Global Citizenship
Merve Akgün: Vice President, Diffusion Capital Partners
Mike Vladimer: Mentor, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business & Alchemist Accelerator
Miraç Bal: CEO, Talentmondo
Misa Nikolic: CEO, Resonator – Creative Tech Hub
Mohammad Kilany: Co-founder, MindRockets
Murat Tortopoğlu: Consultant, yaraticiyikim.com
Murat Topçu
Mustafa Dalci: Founder, Userspots
Mustafa Üşenmez
Mustafa Savaş: Founder, Kimola
Mustafa Cakir: Co-founder, PATENT EFFECT
Mustafa Tamer: Manager, Treet Buba
Mustafa Tamer: CEO, BUBA Treet
Nadine Badreddine: Program Business Advisor, Modus Capital
Neslihan Burgaz: Head of Business Development, Trendyol
Nicat Manafov: E-Commerce Professional and Consultant, Etib.org.az
Nidal Qanadilo: Managing Partner, ARC Capital
Okan Arıcan: Senior Counsel, BTS&Partners
Omer Dogan Dincer: Head of Finance, KolayIK
Onur Yurtsever: Founder & CEO, Smart Advice
Oren Simanian: Founder and General Partner, Colosseum Sport
Orkhan Rzayev: Founder & CEO, Eleven Kings Game
Orkun Ozbatur: Director & Founder, FI Benelux & Amazon
Osman Ertürk ÖZEL: Founder, Manager, ÖZEL Attorney Consultancy
Ozan Sonmez: Partner, The Brutally Honest
Özge Görür Orbay: Founder, Ideacoaching
Özgür Deniz Önür: Founder, Invidyo
Özgür Mutlu Oz: Manager - UX/UI Design, Arçelik Group
Prof. Dr. Ayhan Olcay: Co-founder, InnowayRG
Prof. Dr. Zehra Çataltepe: CEO, TAZI AI
Reine Abbas: Founder & CEO, Spica Tech S.A.L
Rosen Dimov: CEO, Phasegrowth
Sahar El Zaloua: Consultant in Entrepreneurship , Founder Institute - Turkey
Sahin Boydas: Sahin Boydas - CEO, MovieLaLa (Istanbul FI), Gusto
Sahin Caglayan: CEO, Reengen
Samican Tandoğdu: Co-Founder, Synnada
Sarp Bilecen
Sarp UZER: Founder, Sarp
Sarper Celenk: Managing Director, Vegas Food Project
Selcuk Alimdar: General Manager, Founding Partner , bindHR
Selen Senturk: Studio Manager, SHERPA
Selim Satıcı
Selim Cenkel: Founder, Marsel Delights
Selin Orçunsel
Selma Bahcivanoglu: Managing Director, Simya VC
Semi Hakim: CEO, Kok Projekt
Serdal Temel: Co-founder, SORANUS
Sertaç Yakın: Investor, Connected2.me
Shashank Aiisvari: Founder, Aiisvari
Shirley Kaston: Co-Founder & CFO, Kok Projekt
Sure Köse Ulutaş: Founder, Talentmelon
Tarkan Anlar: Founder, CEO, Scotty
Tuğçe Akbulut: Conscious Designer & Curator, Cross Change
Tuna Orbay: Cofounder, BarakaTech
Ufuk Polat: Founder, Deplike
Umutcan Duman: Co-founder, Evreka
Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
Volkan Erturk, Picus Security
Yağmur Çubukçu: Venture Capital Analyst, Maxis
Yashar Kardar: Business Development, Quin
Yilmaz Odaci: Project Manager , Habitat
Zafer Elcik: Co-founder, Otsimo
Zeynep Derece: Founder, DRC Company

And many more to be announced.

Since 2009, Founder Institute’s highly-structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,500 entrepreneurs to grow quickly, know what to do next, and make key connections through the largest community of startup advisors in the world.

It all starts with our renowned ‘FI Core’ accelerator, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth. Alumni of FI Core then receive free access to our advanced ‘Founder Lab’ accelerators for years to come, and can get matched with prospective investors in the FI Venture Network - a collection of global funds actively investing in the earliest rounds of funding.

The results speak for themselves: FI Alumni have raised over $1.85BN in funding, and are building impactful businesses across 200+ cities and 100+ countries all across the globe. (see the FI 50 Report here).