Garanti BBVA and Techstars Istanbul Bring Entrepreneurs Together in Urla
Techstars Startup Weekend Urla, held October 9–11 at the Bilişim Vadisi İzmir Campus under Garanti BBVA’s main partnership with Techstars Istanbul, brought together 74 entrepreneurs over three days. Nineteen teams reached the final pitches, with SPARK taking first place.
Run on Techstars’ global 54-hour Startup Weekend format, the event was also an important meeting point for building stronger ties with İzmir’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. Teams formed on the first day and began with training in business model development and idea validation; on the second they shaped their models and worked on prototypes with mentors; on the third they pitched to the jury.
Nineteen teams in the final
A total of 21 teams made up of 74 entrepreneurs worked on their ideas over the three days, with 19 going on to pitch. Garanti BBVA contributed mentoring and jury support throughout. The jury comprised Erdem Yurdanur (Ofsayt A.Ş.), Tuba Öztepe (Bilişim Vadisi), Murat Akçay (F&M Global Consulting), and Selin Öz (Garanti BBVA).
SPARK took first place with Kârla, a cost-tracking platform for restaurants, followed by FOURION with İMAROS, a platform supporting contractors through zoning and permit processes. Circle8, a smart wristband for remote patient monitoring, and Pickable, an agent-native growth engine for micro-SaaS products, shared third place. The winning teams received prizes of TRY 50,000, TRY 30,000, and TRY 20,000 respectively.
Garanti BBVA Executive Vice President Sibel Kaya said the partnership with Techstars Istanbul is designed to meet entrepreneurs’ needs at different stages of growth. “Alongside financing, giving entrepreneurs access to knowledge, mentoring, partnerships, and strong networks is essential,” she said, adding that the value of the three days lay as much in the connections participants made as in the projects themselves.
Aylin Şahin, Chair of Techstars Istanbul, said the format lets entrepreneurs develop an idea within a team, question their assumptions, and reassess them with input from mentors. “One of the most valuable things to come out of this process is that entrepreneurs can see more clearly which aspects of their ideas need work,” she said, adding that Techstars hopes the teams and projects will continue beyond the event.
Long-term support for the entrepreneurship ecosystem
Speakers included ESİAD President Sibel Zorlu, Techstars Istanbul General Manager Bahadır Girtten, AI and machine learning specialist Dr. Hikmet Dursun, and OrbisLabs founder Dr. İlker Altıntaş. A reception on the evening of October 10 gave entrepreneurs the chance to share experiences and make new connections.
Garanti BBVA’s acceleration program, launched in 2015 and now running under the Partners Tech umbrella, has supported around 65 technology startups to date, offering mentoring, training, business development, communications, and ecosystem connections alongside the bank’s banking expertise. The Techstars partnership adds a global dimension: the world’s largest early-stage investment fund and acceleration program, Techstars operates across 150 countries and supports startups from idea stage through to IPO. Garanti BBVA has joined forces with Techstars Global to help make Türkiye a global hub for technology-based entrepreneurship.