Year Founded: 2015
- Getir – The Revolution of Delivery in Minutes
Founders: Nazım Salur, Tuncay Tütek, Serkan Borançılı
Getir, which delivers grocery products to users in minutes via a mobile app, was one of the first startups to introduce the “instant delivery” model to the world. Now operating in Europe and the US, Getir stands out as one of Türkiye’s unicorn startups (valued at over $1 billion).
- Peak Games – Türkiye’s First Unicorn
Year Founded: 2010
Founders: Sidar Şahin
Focused on the mobile gaming sector, Peak Games has created games like Toon Blast and Toy Blast, which have reached millions of players worldwide. In 2020, it was acquired by U.S.-based Zynga for $1.8 billion, becoming Türkiye’s first unicorn startup.
- Trendyol – From E-Commerce to Tech Giant
Year Founded: 2010
Founder: Demet Mutlu
Starting out as a fashion venture, Trendyol has grown to become one of Türkiye’s largest e-commerce platforms. The company, which invests in many technological areas from artificial intelligence to logistics, reached a valuation of $16.5 billion in 2021 with the partnership of China-based Alibaba.
- Insider – Marketing Automation with Artificial Intelligence
Year Founded: 2012
Founders: Hande Çilingir and her team
Insider was founded as an AI-powered marketing platform that enables brands to personalize the user experience. It achieved unicorn status in 2022. Hande Çilingir was also included in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list.
- BiTaksi – Digital Transformation in Urban Transportation
Year Founded: 2013
Founder: Nazım Salur
BiTaksi brought taxi services to the mobile environment in Türkiye, allowing users to call a taxi with a single tap. The app changed transportation habits in Türkiye with innovative features such as driver ratings and credit card payments.
- com – The Startup That Brought the Service Sector to Digital
Year Founded: 2011
Founders: Başak Taşpınar Değim and Erol Değim
Armut.com, which connects service providers with those in need of services such as cleaning, renovation, and moving, has become one of Türkiye’s largest online service platforms. It has expanded into Europe and the Middle East, creating a regional success story.
- dev – A New Breath of Fresh Air in Software Education
Year Founded: 2021
Founders: Zekeriya Şen, Cemre Güngör, Serdar Turan
Patika.dev is one of the social enterprises that offers free and accessible education to young people who want to learn software. With its bootcamp and career support programs, it enables thousands of young people to enter the software industry.
- Yemeksepeti – Pioneer of Online Ordering in Türkiye
Year Founded: 2001
Founders: Nevzat Aydın and his team
Yemeksepeti was founded as one of Türkiye’s first digital food platforms with the idea of ordering food online from restaurants. It pioneered the transformation of the sector not only with its user experience but also by providing digital infrastructure to restaurants. In 2015, it was acquired by Germany-based Delivery Hero for $589 million, a sale that marked a turning point in Turkish entrepreneurship history. Founder Nevzat Aydın’s decision to share the proceeds of the sale with his team set an example in terms of ethics and leadership.
Inspiration for Young Entrepreneurs: How Were These Successes Possible?
The common points among these ventures include innovation focus, sensitivity to user needs, determined teamwork, and global vision. In addition, each venture produced solutions by strategically using digital technologies.
For young entrepreneurs, these stories are not only inspiring successes, but also provide a roadmap. There is much to be done in the name of entrepreneurship in Türkiye, and you can be part of this journey.
Conclusion
“Successful entrepreneurial examples from Türkiye” show us that with the right idea, a strong team, and a sustainable business model, local solutions can turn into global successes.
Today’s high school entrepreneurs can build tomorrow’s unicorns!
