WeShape Entrepreneurship Program, which aims to bring a new breath to the young entrepreneurship ecosystem in Turkey focused on technology and innovation, witnessed the grand final excitement in its second year. At the finale of the program, which was implemented to reveal the entrepreneurial potential of university students and support equal opportunities, young entrepreneurs from all over Turkey presented their projects to a jury consisting of investors, business leaders and industry professionals.

The program, which was carried out under the leadership of CCN Holding, with the support of the IC İbrahim Çeçen Foundation, under the management of Katalist and in cooperation with the CIFE European Institute, focused on technology-based enterprise ideas this year as well.

Intense Entrepreneurship Adventure from Training to Finals at WeShape  

With the application process starting in January, approximately 350 students from 110 universities across Türkiye participated in the program. Participants received training in entrepreneurship, business model development, marketing communication, innovation and project management for eight months.

During the program, young entrepreneurs receive not only theoretical training; It was also supported by one-on-one mentoring meetings, professional networking opportunities and project development processes. The 10 startups that made it to the final stage gained the right to present their projects in front of the jury at the WeShape Ecosystem Meeting held in Istanbul.

Initiatives ranging from Artificial Intelligence to SpaceTech Attracted Attention

The startups that made it to the finals attracted attention in different sectors with their technology-focused solutions. Projects developed in areas such as FoodTech, FinTech, EdTech, HealthTech, SpaceTech and TravelTech revealed how young people can produce powerful ideas focused on technology and innovation.

Among the projects in the final scene; FittyFit, which focuses on restaurant technologies, MEDBRIDGE, a digital health and supplement safety solution, EduCoach, which offers artificial intelligence-supported work coaching, mental health initiative PSYGrow, and deep technology-focused ENIGMA, were among the prominent projects.

The ENIGMA project, developed especially in the field of space technologies and deep technology, was one of the most remarkable initiatives of the night.

Powerful Names of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Took Part in the Jury

Projects of young entrepreneurs; It was evaluated by a jury consisting of important names from the business world, investment ecosystem, academia and social entrepreneurship fields.

In the jury seat;

• CCN Holding Board Member Berfin Çeçen Şenol  
• Ayşe Günseli Çeçen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IC İbrahim Çeçen Foundation and Member of the Board of Directors of CCN Holding  
• IC Holding CEO Can Çaka  
• SEDEFED Chairman of the Board of Directors Emine Erdem  
• Academician and social entrepreneur Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart  
• Umutcan Savci, Aposto Co-Founder  
• Berik Ventures Founder and Early Stage Angel Investor Hulusi Berik took part.  

WeShape Ecosystem Meeting Became a Networking Center

WeShape Ecosystem Meeting, held after the final presentations, brought together different stakeholders of the entrepreneurship ecosystem under the same roof.

Young entrepreneurs at the event; had the opportunity to establish one-on-one contact with investors, NGO representatives, media professionals and corporate innovation leaders. Networking meetings and one-on-one meetings held throughout the day enabled the finalists to explain their projects to wider circles.

The program is not just a competition model; It stood out as a comprehensive entrepreneurship platform where young people can expand their professional networks.

This year’s winners of the WeShape Entrepreneurship Program have been announced  

At the awards ceremony held after the final night, this year’s winners of the WeShape Entrepreneurship Program were announced.

Ersan Yüksekkaya, Burak Kılıç and Batuhan İnce won the first prize with the ENIGMA project they developed in the field of SpaceTech and deep technology. The team gained the right to participate in summer schools organized in Europe by the CIFE European Institute. The second prize went to Gizem Dinler, Elif Miroğlu and Lorin Türe with their FittyFit project in the field of FoodTech. The team was entitled to receive internship and mentoring support. Elif Naz Günel, Süleyman Emre Kaya and Hayati Kozak received the third prize with their MEDBRIDGE project. The team was rewarded with internship support.

Ceylin Çetin was entitled to receive mentoring support within the scope of the Special Jury Award for her PSYGrow project developed in the field of mental health.

“Young Ideas Shape the Future”

Speaking at the event, CCN Holding Board Member Berfin Çeçen Şenol emphasized that technology-oriented initiatives have become the main driving force of global transformation.

Şenol stated that the ideas developed by young people shape the future in many fields from artificial intelligence to data technologies, from sustainability to digital transformation, and stated that WeShape was implemented to support the courage of young people to produce.

Stating that the impact and number of applications reached in the second year of the program are promising, Şenol stated that they will continue to grow the entrepreneurship ecosystem based on equality of entrepreneurship opportunity.

The Ratio of Female Entrepreneurs Remarked

IC İbrahim Çeçen Foundation Chairman Ayşe Günseli Çeçen drew attention to the social impact of the program.

Çeçen stated that the fact that more than half of the participants were female entrepreneurs showed that the vision of equal opportunities found a strong response. He emphasized that every innovative idea developed by young people is important not only for individual success but also for the future of Türkiye.

Education and International Expansion Opportunity in Europe

One of the striking aspects of the WeShape Entrepreneurship Program was the international education opportunities.

Within the scope of the CIFE European Institute collaboration, the finalists had the right to earn 6 ECTS worth of academic credits valid throughout Europe. The team that won the first prize had the opportunity to develop their projects on an international scale by participating in the summer school in Europe.

Entrepreneurs who ranked within the scope of the program also received internship opportunities, strategic mentoring support and opportunities to work with corporate innovation leaders.

Ranking Startups

• First Prize: ENIGMA – Ersan Yüksekkaya, Burak Kılıç, Batuhan İnce  
• Second Prize: FittyFit – Gizem Dinler, Elif Miroğlu, Lorin Türe  
• Third Prize: MEDBRIDGE – Elif Naz Günel, Süleyman Emre Kaya, Hayati Kozak  
• Special Jury Award: PSYGrow – Ceylin Çetin