Financial Support Mechanisms for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs at Boğaziçi University

Boğaziçi University provides direct and indirect financial assistance to local start-ups through an integrated entrepreneurship ecosystem coordinated by the Entrepreneurship Application and Research Center (BRIGHT), the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), and Boğaziçi University Technopark. These mechanisms are designed to support the financial sustainability, scalability, and market readiness of early-stage ventures founded by students, alumni, academics, and local entrepreneurs.

Direct Financial Support to Start-ups

Cash Awards, Grants, and Competition-Based Funding

Through BRIGHT-led entrepreneurship programmes and Demo Day events, Boğaziçi University provides direct cash-based financial support to early-stage start-ups. In 2025 alone, Boğaziçi University Technopark allocated more than 1,000,000 TL in direct financial support to start-ups participating in BRIGHT programmes.

Key funding mechanisms include:

• BRIGHT Young Entrepreneurs Programme

• BRIGHT Masterclass Programme

• BRIGHT Masterclass for All Students

The BRIGHT Young Entrepreneurs Programme receives startup applications and admits selected ventures into the training phase. Following the completion of the training period, the program selects ten startups that are ready for Demo Day and admits them to the Boğaziçi Technopark Entrepreneurship Offices, providing financial awards during the Demo Day. The Demo Day is organized once a year. Throughout the pre-incubation and incubation phases, the program supports startups in developing their products and reaching the prototype stage.

The competitions that feed into the BRIGHT Young Entrepreneurs Programme are held three to four times a year. These competitions are conducted under the name BRIGHT Masterclass. In 2025, the Masterclass program was organized twice and attracted significant interest. As a result, it was opened to university students across Türkiye and was implemented this year under the title Masterclass for All Students.

In 2025, a total of 480,000 TRY financial support was provided to early-stage entrepreneurs under four different Masterclass programs, funded by Boğaziçi Technopark. Within the scope of these calls, details of the awarded startups are presented below.

BRIGHT Masterclass Program – March 2025

• First Prize: Mubu – Enes Kılınç – 60,000 TRY
• Second Prize: ByCoach – Eyüp İşler – 40,000 TRY
• Third Prize: Unify – Sude Naz Sarımeşe – 20,000 TRY

BRIGHT Masterclass Program – June 2025

• First Prize: Fitquest – Burak Tahta – 60,000 TRY
• Second Prize: Hostrender – Berkay Aydın – 40,000 TRY
• Third Prize: Züccar – Yusuf Kaya – 20,000 TRY
• Jury Special Award: Crawler – Enes Gökmen

BRIGHT Masterclass for All Students – October 2025

• First Prize: INFPAY – Melek Eda Türkeş – 60,000 TRY
• Second Prize: MIA – Ömer Faruk Fındık – 40,000 TRY
• Third Prize: e3 Akademi – Firdevs Kartal – 20,000 TRY
• Jury Special Awards: Wisery AI & AlgoThera Biotech

BRIGHT Masterclass for All Students – December 2025

• First Prize: Indego – Melek Eda Türkeş – 60,000 TRY
• Second Prize: Autocycle – Ömer Faruk Fındık – 40,000 TRY
• Third Prize: CosMeTell – Firdevs Kartal – 20,000 TRY

The BRIGHT Young Entrepreneurs Program, which is organized once a year, was most recently held on 25 November 2025. The event hosted more than 160 guests, with the participation of over 10 investors and companies, providing entrepreneurs with valuable opportunities to introduce themselves and expand their professional networks. Within the scope of the program, a total of TRY 600,000 in financial support was awarded to the top three startups. As a result, the total amount of financial support provided to startups through Boğaziçi Technopark’s cash contributions throughout 2025 exceeded TRY 1 million.

A total of 9 startups took the stage during the event, engaging in intense competition. All teams gained valuable experience by pitching their ventures in front of a live audience, marking an important milestone in their entrepreneurial journeys. Information on the top three award-winning startups is presented below:

First Prize – TRY 250,000 : Bess AI – Ozan Eroğlu

Bess.ai is a cloud-based SaaS platform that transforms call centers from inefficient cost centers into profitable value centers through AI-powered autonomous agents. Beyond conversational capabilities, the solution integrates directly with corporate systems to autonomously execute real transactions. By doing so, it reduces operational costs by up to 70%, enhances customer experience, and enables meaningful data-driven insights and decision-making.

Second Prize – TRY 200,000 : MIA – Kemal Kızılay

MIA is a meeting assistant designed to improve the efficiency of online meetings for corporate teams. Accessible either on-premises or via the cloud, MIA conducts real-time research during meetings to provide decision-makers with the most accurate data. Founded in September 2025 by a four-member experienced team led by Kemal Kızılay, MIA has completed its MVP stage and is currently continuing its proof-of-concept (PoC) discussions.

Third Prize – TRY 150,000 : InfPay – Yaren Çalı

InfPay is a data-driven influencer marketing platform that automates the entire process between brands and influencers through a single platform. By combining campaign management, accurate influencer matching, ROI estimation, fake follower detection, and a fintech-based secure payment flow, InfPay delivers higher accuracy, lower operational costs, and full transparency for brands. For influencers, the platform offers fast payments, tax compliance, and professional workflow management.

BRIGHT Program Statistics in 2025

Click here to view the Startups supported by BRIGHT.

Click here to visit the BRIGHT homepage.

Incubation-Based Financial Advantages through Technopark and Entrepreneurship Offices

The general open call of the Boğaziçi Entrepreneurship Offices operating under Boğaziçi University Technopark is open to applications from all entrepreneurs on an ongoing basis. Start-ups supported through Boğaziçi University Technopark benefit not only from mentorship and training but also from financial advantages embedded in incubation services, including:

• Office and Co-working Spaces: Modern, fully equipped, rent-free or discounted office spaces, meeting rooms, and shared working areas.
• Training and Seminars: Entrepreneurship-focused training programs delivered in both online and face-to-face formats.
• Mentorship and Consultancy: One-on-one mentorship and consultancy services provided by experts in business development, strategy, marketing, and financial planning.
• Technical Infrastructure: High-speed internet, laboratories, and other technical facilities.
• Financial Support and Investor Network: Access to various funding sources and opportunities to connect with investors to bring projects to life.
• Prototyping and Product Development Support: Technical and logistical support during product development and prototyping processes.

• Technology Transfer Consultancy: Expert guidance throughout the technology transfer process to commercialize innovations derived from academic research.
• Patent and Intellectual Property Consultancy: Support and guidance on patenting and intellectual property rights to protect innovative ideas.

• Networking and Collaboration Opportunities: Opportunities to collaborate and build networks with other entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and academic communities.
• International Outreach: Guidance and support for entrepreneurs seeking to expand into international markets.

Click here to visit the Boğaziçi University Technopark website.

Click below to visit the Entrepreneurship Office web pages:

• Kandilli Entrepreneurship Office
• Etiler Entrepreneurship Office
• Batman Entrepreneurship Office

Boğaziçi Incubation Center Startups to Date:

Investment Readiness and Investor Access

Demo Days, Pitching Events, and Investor Matching

Financial assistance at Boğaziçi University extends beyond direct cash awards to include structured investor access mechanisms. BRIGHT regularly organises:

• Demo Day events with professional investor juries,
• Pitching Days in collaboration with the Technology Transfer Office,
• targeted investor–start-up matchmaking sessions.

In 2025, more than 10 investment firms and angel investors participated in BRIGHT Demo Days. Selected start-ups were introduced directly to investors, and follow-up meetings were facilitated by the incubation and technopark teams.

A documented example includes investor–startup matching between Leus Capital / Ludus Ventures and Glyde Games.

Financial Support through National and International Funding Programmes

Publicly Funded Entrepreneurship and R&D Schemes

Boğaziçi University actively supports start-ups’ access to external financial resources through national and international funding programmes. Key mechanisms include:

• DreamBIGG Programme, implemented under TÜBİTAK 1512 Techno-Entrepreneurship Capital Support Programme,
• partnerships within BiGG+ Venture Launchpad consortia,
• project-based funding and stipend mechanisms under EU and public programmes.

Through these programmes, start-ups receive seed funding, commercialisation support, and structured investment preparation, while benefiting from incubation services at Boğaziçi University facilities.

DreamBIGG – TÜBİTAK 1812 Investment-Based Entrepreneurship Support Program

Implemented by the Boğaziçi University Technology Transfer Office, the DreamBIGG Program is a TRY 900,000 support scheme for young entrepreneurs under TÜBİTAK’s 1512 Techno-Entrepreneurship Capital Support Program. The program aims to transform technology- and innovation-driven business ideas into ventures with high potential for qualified employment creation and value added.

Students enrolled in, or graduates of, associate, undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs are eligible to apply. Scalable projects and startups that successfully complete the application process receive incubation support to bring their ideas to market. The overarching objective of the program is to foster the creation of companies that develop innovative products and services with strong international competitiveness.

Click here to visit the DreamBIGG homepage.

Integrated Financial Assistance Ecosystem

Boğaziçi University’s approach to local start-up financial assistance is ecosystem-based rather than single-instrument focused. By combining:

• direct cash awards and grants,
• incubation-based financial advantages,
• investor access and matchmaking,
• public funding programme facilitation,
• promotion and visibility support,

The University ensures that early-stage ventures are supported throughout their financial development journey—from idea stage to market entry and scaling.

This integrated model contributes directly to the creation of financially resilient, innovation-driven, and socially responsible start-ups, reinforcing Boğaziçi University’s role as a key driver of local and national entrepreneurship development.

Related News

‘Bright Young Entrepreneurs Programme’ Provides Significant Support to Boğaziçi University Students' Start-ups

The ‘Bright Young Entrepreneurs Programme Demo Day’ event, organised in collaboration with Boğaziçi University Technopark and the Entrepreneurship Application and Research Centre, was held on 26 November 2024 at Boğaziçi Technopark Kandilli Campus.

As part of the programme, young entrepreneurs from Boğaziçi University presented their innovative projects in various fields such as gaming, health technologies, software and artificial intelligence to the jury.

As a result of the jury's evaluation, four start-ups won a total of 350,000 TL in financial support and gained the right to benefit from the comprehensive infrastructure and mentoring services of Boğaziçi University Technopark Incubation Centre.

Successful Startups

The first prize was awarded to the ‘GLYDE Games’ team. The team is preparing to launch its new game worldwide on various platforms in the near future. Second place went to ‘Innorare,’ which developed a clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) catheter that can be easily used at home.

Third place was awarded to the ‘Pura’ team for their project on a liquid and hybrid rocket system that can be used in space exploration. Additionally, the ‘Navibu’ team, which developed an artificial intelligence-supported customised navigation system, was awarded the jury's special prize.

‘We will support our students' innovative initiatives even more.’

Speaking at the opening of the event, Dr. Cem Duran, General Manager of Boğaziçi University Technopark, stated that they will continue to strengthen students' innovative projects with financial and infrastructural support:

"As Boğaziçi University, we are witnessing projects that attract worldwide attention in fields such as gaming, health technologies, software, and artificial intelligence. As a technology park, we will continue to stand by our young entrepreneurs, providing them with mentorship and infrastructure support. By increasing the number of such events, we aim to reach more students and create new success stories.”

Click here to read the full news.