The Magnet Istanbul Project is carried out with the financial support of the Istanbul Development Agency.
“Magnet Istanbul ” project was entitled to be supported within the scope of the Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA) 2021 “Entrepreneurship Financial Support Program” and was held at Istanbul Commerce University Ticaret Incubation Center January 2022 -June 2023 scheduled to be carried out between
With the Magnet Istanbul Project, it is aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem of Istanbul with the perspective of Istanbul's vision of becoming a regional entrepreneurship center. In this context, the general aim of the project is; Supporting the development of new products/services, accepting local and foreign, innovative and technology-oriented initiatives and contributing to Istanbul's being a regional center of attraction.
In this context, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), Technopark Istanbul, Vakif Katılım Bank, SUV VC incubation center established in Azerbaijan and ADA University, Manas University located in Kyrgyzstan and International University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, GETHAM (Gaziantep Regional Industrial Design and Hybrid Modeling Center) located in Gaziantep(GETHAM), Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Teknokent located in Van, Young Entrepreneurship Ecosystem located in Adana, they were allowed to take part in the project as associates.
Foundation Participation, which is the leading institution in the development and growth of Participation Banking in the banking sector, also supports the project.
In the entrepreneurship program to be held within the scope of the Magnet Istanbul Project, which will start in January 2022 and end in June 2023, it is planned to provide one-on-one mentoring, consultancy, training and orientation training in the project by ensuring that entrepreneurs adapt to Istanbul and the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
National/international mentoring and consultancy services will be provided to entrepreneurs with innovation-oriented technological business ideas that will be included in the project. Entrepreneurship program is planned to reach its goal by supporting the strengthening of business ideas of entrepreneurs and transforming innovative business ideas into commercial value.
Mentors from the entrepreneurship ecosystem of the United States of America, which is considered the homeland of entrepreneurship, will also be utilized in order to contribute to the development of the entrepreneurs included in the program to develop their global competitive capabilities. It is planned to provide mentoring and consultancy services that will contribute to the sharing of know-how and experience between entrepreneurs in the USA and Istanbul.
In addition to all these, in line with the development of a creativity and innovation-oriented technology entrepreneurship ecosystem, a prototyping workshop was established in the Ticaret Incubation Center, which is currently established at Istanbul Commerce University, in the project, where entrepreneurs can continue their work on innovation-oriented technological product / service production and contribute to the development of existing physical infrastructure equipment. By organizing trainings in the established prototyping workshop, it is ensured that entrepreneurs and entrepreneur candidates benefit from the workshop.
Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their business ideas to investors with the investor-entrepreneur meeting event called "The Big Day", which will mediate entrepreneurs to find investment support for their business ideas, in the project aimed at providing entrepreneurs with access to finance.
Ticaret Incubation
Committed to contributing to the increase in the number of technology-based companies, the Trade Incubation Center was established in 2018 with the support of İSTKA and within the scope of Istanbul Commerce University Technology Transfer Office (TTO), it is located in Küçükyalı on the Asian side of Istanbul also operates.
Ticaret Incubation Center; provides pre-incubation and incubation services to entrepreneurs and entrepreneur candidates. It serves entrepreneur candidates who are at the level of implementing the project idea and business model, and startups that have started their ventures. The center provides boutique services that closely deal with entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs have brought their ideas to the international arena. In addition to the use of open and closed offices for entrepreneurs, business plan & business model, law, marketing and branding, financial management, business development etc. for entrepreneurs and entrepreneur candidates. offers training and consultancy services on various subjects and private one-to-one mentoring service free of charge.
The Ticaret Incubation Center, which helps technology-focused and innovative thinking entrepreneurs in maturing their business ideas and transforming them into technology, has been a guide for startups with innovative business ideas in the commercialization of information and technology, and has created a ground for opening various opportunities for them.
Supporting initiatives to develop the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Istanbul region, Ticaret Incubation helps this ecosystem to have a high-tech structure and to increase value-added production; has carried out and continues to carry out many projects in order to continue its support for entrepreneurs in the development of qualified entrepreneurs and in the creation of University-Industry cooperation. It aims to contribute to Istanbul's becoming a global center of attraction with the projects carried out.
Other Opportunities Offered by Ticaret Incubation
- Use of Outdoor and Indoor Workspace
- Open office for 20 people
- Cubic open office for 8 people
- 3 closed offices for 6 people
- 20 computers,
- 2 3D printers,
- 1 3D scanner
- 25 person training hall
- Arduino sets
- Prototyping workshop
- CNC Routher
- Column Vertical Drill
- Grinding machine
- Inverter Welding Machine
- Soldering Iron Set
- Digital Oscilloscope
- Digital Multimeter Measuring Instrument
- Tool Set
- Work benches
- Office tools for entrepreneurs
- Istanbul Commerce University's technological infrastructure and engineering laboratories
- Free training and consultancy support
- Opportunity to develop animated films and games with licensed programs
- Project design support for application to support programs that can provide funding
- Academic consultancy service with the academic staff of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
- Istanbul Forensic Informatics Laboratory
The Big Day
“The Big Day” event has been traditionally organized by Ticaret Incubation since 2019; It is an event where entrepreneurs who have a technology-based business idea and want to establish their own companies meet with investors after participating in the entrepreneurship program and try to get the initial capital support award.
2021 The Big Day
Within the scope of the Fintech Startup Acceleration Program carried out in cooperation with Foundation Participation, 8 startups met with investors at “The Big Day”. 3 successful startups won a total of 60,000 TL in prize money.
At the event held at Istanbul Commerce University Küçükyalı Campus, Vakıf Katılım Information Technologies and Digital Banking Director Mehmet Tüm; Vakıf Katılım Information Technologies Strategy and Governance Manager Burak Coşkun, Vakıf Katılım R&D Innovation Service Manager: Bulut Karadağ, Informatics Valley Ecosystem Development Director Tuba Öztepe, KT Portfolio Alternative Investments Director Ramazan Bayram, Active Portfolio Director Elif Pehlivanlı, TR Angels Founding partner: Mustafa Alper, Istanbul Commerce University Finance Institute Director Prof. Dr. Serkan Çankaya took part in the evaluation jury.
The team of Zeynep Elinç and Tolga Nikbay won the first prize of 30,000 TL with the Varsapp initiative, which developed the application for the safe rental of unused items. The team of Samet Öztoprak, Meltem Okutan and Ömer Faruk Öner received the 20,000 TL prize with the Finansfox initiative, an application that regulates the flow of finance to companies selling in marketplaces. The third prize of 10.000 TL was presented to Enes Can Şahin, Beyza Tuna, Yüsra with the SALP initiative, a platform that develops the entrepreneur-investor relationship by producing Artificial Intelligence supported solutions to the problems in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Senem and Yusuf Dokumacı team won.
You can watch 2021 The Big Day below.
2019 The Big Day
Of the 14 startups in the Ticaret Incubation Center, 10 startups that successfully completed the Ticaret Incubation program appeared before the investors at the The Big Day event. Entrepreneurs made their presentations in front of investors at The Big Day, where very important names of the industry came together.
Within the scope of the “Development of Technological Entrepreneurship” project at Ticaret Incubation supported by Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA), entrepreneurs receive free one-to-one mentoring, consultancy and training during the months-long program at Ticaret Incubation. they received the service.
In the event held at Istanbul Commerce University Küçükyalı Campus, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) Head of Finance Professional Committee Zeki Sayın, ITO Telecommunication Professional Committee President Prof. Dr. Investors such as Çetin Aygün, Ziraat Participation Bank Deputy General Manager Osman Karakütük, Bosphorist Venture and Buba Ventures Founder Timuçin Bilgör, Istanbul Portfolio Deputy General Manager Kaan Kolabaş and Mükafat Portfolio Director Elif Pehlivanlı took part in the evaluation team.
The 10 entrepreneurs who made it to the finals after the evaluation had the opportunity to present their projects to the evaluation jury. Gamified learning platform E-babil, Digital platform where discounted products can be purchased and compared Redu, Online guidance platform Hey Koç, Fantastic style mobile game >Estrast, Document generating software Jetlexa, Digital platform for effective use of libraries MyLibrary, A fintech project with software and hardware Fingersoft and Co Print, which produces color printed apparatus for 3D printers, presented their projects to the jury at The Big Day.
As a result of the jury evaluation, the initiative that won the Entrepreneurship Education award in New York was REDU.
Our Supporters
Project Team
Arife Tuba ÇITIR
Project Coordinator
Senanur TELLİOĞLU
Incubation Program Manager
Sırrı ÖZER
