The 2025–2026 term of the ÜNLÜ & Co Women Technology Entrepreneurs Academy, which ÜNLÜ & Co has been running for 10 years in collaboration with the Türkiye Entrepreneurship Foundation (GİRVAK), has been completed. Held under the theme “30 Years of Adding Value to Entrepreneurship” in ÜNLÜ & Co’s 30th anniversary year, the program concluded with the finalist startups presenting before the jury. For Physician, which operates in the field of health technologies, received the first-place award, while Jobtogo, a talent platform connecting companies with freelancers, won second place, and Factory of Us, which develops sustainable production technologies, received third place. Odi, which has developed a social impact model aimed at reducing university students’ cost of living, was granted the Jury Special Impact Award. As part of the program, ÜNLÜ & Co will make a USD 50,000 investment in the winning startup.
ÜNLÜ & Co, one of Türkiye’s leading investment services and asset management groups, continues to provide entrepreneurs with training, mentorship, investor access and growth support through the ÜNLÜ & Co Women Technology Entrepreneurs Academy, which it carries out in collaboration with the Türkiye Entrepreneurship Foundation (GİRVAK) to support stronger representation of women in the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Launched in 2016, the Academy has evolved into a powerful entrepreneurship platform that has graduated nearly 300 women entrepreneurs, contributed to the development of more than 165 startups and generated an aggregate investment impact of over USD 100 million among its graduate startups. Over the past 10 years, the ÜNLÜ & Co Women Technology Entrepreneurs Academy has become one of Türkiye’s strongest women technology entrepreneurship platforms. Approximately three-quarters of the Academy’s graduate startups continue to operate actively, while more than one-third have received investment and continue their growth journeys. Among the Academy’s graduates are technology startups that have raised millions of dollars in investment, expanded into global markets and gone through acquisition processes.
This year, more than 100 startups from 33 cities and 9 countries applied to the program, and 19 startups operating in transformation areas such as artificial intelligence, sustainability, health technologies, biotechnology, mobility, financial technologies and social impact were accepted. Sixteen startups that successfully completed the program qualified to graduate.
As part of the program, entrepreneurs participated in advanced training sessions across various fields, including law, finance, company valuation, artificial intelligence, brand management, digital marketing and presentation techniques. They also had the opportunity to develop their startups through investor meetings, networking events, inspirational talks and one-on-one mentorship support.
The Program Strengthened Its Investment and Scaling Focus This Year
In its 10th year, the ÜNLÜ & Co Women Technology Entrepreneurs Academy went beyond being solely an education program and positioned itself as a comprehensive development platform accompanying women technology entrepreneurs on their investment, growth and scaling journeys.
This year, an investment support model was introduced for the first time under the program, with the aim of making a USD 50,000 investment in the winning startup. In addition, internal mentors comprising ÜNLÜ & Co leaders were assigned to each startup, enabling their development processes to be monitored more closely. Supported by an expert external mentor network, the number of touchpoints established with entrepreneurs more than doubled compared to the previous term.
The standout startups of the Academy’s 2025–2026 term drew attention with their innovative solutions in areas including carbon management, circular production, health technologies, clinical collaborations and social impact. In particular, AI-powered SaaS platforms, sustainable production technologies and digital solutions focused on social benefit stood out as leading examples of next-generation entrepreneurship.
Three Startups Awarded Among Seven Finalists
Following the evaluation by a jury composed of leading figures from the entrepreneurship ecosystem, the award-winning projects were selected from among seven finalist startups.
The first-place award was granted to For Physician, a clinical collaboration network that strengthens knowledge sharing among healthcare professionals. Jobtogo, a talent platform supporting next-generation working models, received second place, while Factory of Us, which enables circular production through sustainable materials and 3D printing technology, won third place. Odi, which stood out with its social impact-oriented solution for university students, received the Jury Special Impact Award. As part of the program, a USD 50,000 investment will be made in the winning startup, subject to investment committee evaluations.
Şebnem Kalyoncuoğlu Ünlü: “Our Academy has evolved into a powerful transformation ecosystem”
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Şebnem Kalyoncuoğlu Ünlü, Board Member of ÜNLÜ & Co, said:
“As ÜNLÜ & Co, today we are celebrating both our 30-year journey of adding value to entrepreneurship and the 10-year impact of the steps we have taken to support women’s stronger presence in the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem. It is a great source of pride for us that the journey we started with the dreams of four entrepreneurs has today evolved into a powerful platform that touches the stories of hundreds of women entrepreneurs.
We believe that the biggest obstacle facing women entrepreneurs is not a lack of potential, but inequality in access to opportunities. For this reason, we position the ÜNLÜ & Co Women Technology Entrepreneurs Academy not merely as an educational structure, but as a powerful development ecosystem that brings women entrepreneurs together with investors, mentors, the right networks and growth opportunities.
This year, we reshaped our program in line with the needs of our entrepreneurs. We strengthened our mentorship structure, made our training content more practice-oriented and introduced our investment support model. The number of touchpoints we established with our entrepreneurs more than doubled compared to last year. We will continue to support women technology entrepreneurs not only in generating ideas, but also in receiving investment, scaling up and becoming global success stories.”
Sina Afra: “The issue facing women entrepreneurs is not a lack of potential; it is ensuring that their potential meets the right support mechanisms.”
Sina Afra, Chairman of the Türkiye Entrepreneurship Foundation (GİRVAK), said:
“When we launched the ÜNLÜ & Co Women Technology Entrepreneurs Academy, we believed that women taking a stronger role in technology entrepreneurship was not merely a matter of representation, but a critical need for Türkiye’s entrepreneurship ecosystem to grow in a more inclusive, stronger and more sustainable way.
Since then, through the Academy, we have been supporting women technology entrepreneurs in accessing the right resources, mentors, investors and networks. Because in entrepreneurship, what often makes the difference is not only a good idea, but that idea meeting the right people at the right time.
Today, in the Academy’s 10th year, among our graduates there are startups that have received investment, expanded into global markets, grown their teams and created impact in their respective fields. This picture shows us that the issue facing women entrepreneurs is not a lack of potential, but ensuring that their potential meets the right support mechanisms. We are very pleased that this long-standing collaboration with ÜNLÜ & Co has created a lasting impact in the women technology entrepreneurship ecosystem.”
About the Award-Winning Startups
First-Place Award – For Physician
For Physician is a digital clinical collaboration network that enables physicians to share knowledge in a secure environment through a verified membership system. The platform allows healthcare professionals to access expert opinions 24/7, exchange case-based knowledge and continue their professional development through interdisciplinary feedback. It was granted the first-place award by the jury for its approach that accelerates access to knowledge in healthcare services and makes collective expertise more visible.
Second-Place Award – Jobtogo
Jobtogo is an end-to-end talent platform that supports next-generation working models by bringing companies and independent professionals together on a single platform. By digitalizing matching, contracting, payment and invoicing processes, it enables companies to quickly access the expertise they need while allowing freelancers to work securely with corporate clients. With its solution contributing to the growth of the flexible work economy, Jobtogo won the second-place award in the program.
Third-Place Award – Factory of Us
Factory of Us is a green technology startup that combines sustainable production with design and technology. Producing customized furniture by processing 100% recyclable biocomposite materials through 3D printing technology, the startup places the circular economy approach at the center of production. It received the third-place award for its innovative model, which significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to traditional production methods.
Jury Special Impact Award – Odi
Odi is a social enterprise that aims to facilitate university students’ access to the support they need amid rising living costs. Bringing students together with student-friendly businesses and individual or corporate supporters, the platform offers a solidarity-based model across many areas, from basic needs to social life. Odi was granted the Jury Special Impact Award for its potential to create social benefit and its approach that directly touches young people’s quality of life.
