On 17 October 2023, Workup (11th Batch) and WorkupAgri (2nd Batch) by İşBank presented their graduates. The Demoday, held in İşSanat Conference Hall and anchored by Yekta Kopan, was a milestone in the entrepreneurial journey of 8 promising startups. Within the framework of the Workup program, these startups have flourished, benefiting from many resources, including mentor meetings, experience-sharing sessions, inspiration events, and investor, potential partnership meetings. With a total investment exceeding $20 million across 150 startups, Workup is a cornerstone in Turkey's innovation landscape.

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A Word from Hakan Aran

Hakan Aran, the CEO of Türkiye İş Bankası, took the stage to talk about Workup's transformative impact on the startup ecosystem. "Today, our program has touched the lives of 150 startups, and the total investment garnered by our graduates has reached an impressive 20 million dollars," Aran noted. "This is not just a win for the startups but a monumental stride for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Turkey."

Growing with Workup: A Panel Discussion 

After Aran's speech, demoday continued with the panel moderated by Emre Ölçer, the Digital Banking Director of Türkiye İş Bankası, featured alumni startups, including Alara İplikçioğlu, CEO of Juphy, Wastespresso Co-founder Cavid Bayramlı, Onlayer CEO Kıvanç Harputlu. They shared their journeys and how Workup significantly contributed to their success. Kaan Akın, Founder and CEO of Hackquarters, proudly spoke about Workup's achievements. "Seeing the startups thrive and contribute to the ecosystem makes us incredibly proud. We are not just building businesses; we are building the future," said Akın.

Program Journey with Numbers

The number of applications made to Workup to date has exceeded 15K. The number of selected startups has increased to 138. So far, Workupers have raised $20 million in investment during or after the program. These numbers show the added value created by the program.

For Workup Batch 11 this year, over 550 startups were screened for the program; 15 pitched their solutions to the jury, and 10 were selected for this year’s batch. 5 out of the 10 graduated from the program. During Batch 11, we delivered an intense 25+ hours of Training, over 60 hours of workshops, and over 50 hours of investor meetings.

In addition, for WorkupAgri, Since 2021, 281 startups were screened, and 20 startups were in the pipeline. 13 out of the 20 startups were selected for the program.

This year, 7 startups were selected for the program from over 30 cities. We delivered 96 hours of mentorship and collaboration meetings, 40 hours of Training & workshops, and  20 hours of design thinking during the program.

Meet the Startups

Here's a look at the startups that showcased their innovations:

• Werover:  provides artificial intelligence, IoT (Internet of Things), and robotic solutions for preventive maintenance and 24/7 health monitoring of renewable energy assets. It has two products, Searover for underwater solutions and Windrover for wind energy solutions.
• Kozalak:  produces forest guard is an IoT-based mesh network system solution that provides early detection and warning in forest fires, measures air quality, and detects toxic, flammable and explosive gases.
• Pivony:  is a B2B SaaS Platform for business professionals to understand ever-evolving customer expectations in just a few clicks.
• Move On: builds cloud-connected autonomous driving kits for tractors using artificial intelligence, computer vision, and sensor fusion (IoT) technology.
• Homster:  is a software that allows homebuyers to visualize their future homes according to their tastes, creating a virtual tour for making conscious and secure purchase decisions.
• Nanomic Biotechnology: fights agricultural diseases and pests with microencapsulated biopesticides.
• Heybooster: is a software that translates e-commerce companies' digital marketing data into actionable business plans, connecting them with measurement and marketing tools and providing analysis.
• Getmobil: is a platform that provides advantages such as doorstep delivery and instant payment during buying and selling processes, serving both those who want to purchase refurbished devices and those who want to sell their old ones.

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As we close the chapter on this year's Demo Day, the enthusiasm and potential displayed promise an exciting future for the Turkish startup ecosystem. We look forward to continuing this journey and witnessing more success stories unfold.

For a more immersive experience, you can watch the whole Demo Day event here.