TSKB and GIRVAK Launch TSKB Co-Venture Program for Entrepreneurs

Working for 75 years towards the vision of Türkiye's multifaceted sustainable development, TSKB has announced the venture builder program called "TSKB Co-Venture" launched in cooperation with the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation, which strives to remove the barriers to entrepreneurship in Türkiye for strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The program, TSKB's first comprehensive step in the field of entrepreneurship, will prioritize startups which are affected by the February 6 earthquakes and whose founding team and/or employees include women. Through the TSKB Co-Venture, which consists of three phases: idea to product, product to market and scaling, entrepreneurs will also be offered training and mentoring opportunities. TSKB CEO Murat Bilgiç has emphasized that they aim to bring TSKB's deep know-how to the entrepreneurship world via this initiative and said, "We believe that TSKB Co-Venture will not only raise the level of knowledge of entrepreneurs in Türkiye but also improve their ability to access financing." Sina Afra, President of the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation, has emphasized that the program offers a long-term and constructive support model for young entrepreneurs.

TSKB (Industrial Development Bank of Türkiye) has launched the TSKB Co-Venture program to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the 75th anniversary of its foundation. Under the program launched in cooperation with the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation (GIRVAK) and designed for entrepreneurial teams of at least two people, initiative ideas that offer solutions to problems in the fields of climate, health, education and disaster technologies will be supported. TSKB Co-Venture will prioritize entrepreneurial teams from the regions affected by the February 6 earthquakes as well as female entrepreneurs. TSKB's expert teams, intrapreneurs, subsidiaries, suppliers and stakeholder organizations will also contribute to the program as the providers of knowledge and experience.

This program, the first comprehensive step of the Bank in the field of entrepreneurship by expanding the content of TSKB's long-standing cooperation with GIRVAK, aims to bring TSKB's sustainable development vision and sectoral expertise, built on 75 years of deep-rooted experience, together with the entrepreneurship world. Main objectives of the program are to enhance the knowledge of entrepreneurs, thereby improving their ability to access financing, and to support the growth of startups, which are affected by the February 6 earthquakes in Türkiye, in the global market.

TSKB CEO Murat Bilgiç: "We aim to support entrepreneurs along their impact-driven growth journey"

Murat Bilgiç, TSKB CEO, has made the following remarks:

"During this meaningful year when we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Bank, we are very pleased to lay the foundations of such an important project that we believe will play a role in the development of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Türkiye. Through our venture builder project named TSKB Co-Venture, which we have launched in cooperation with GIRVAK, we aim to raise the knowledge level of entrepreneurs in areas of strategic priority that will contribute to Türkiye's sustainable future such as climate, health, education and disaster technologies, to improve their competencies in finding financing and to support entrepreneurs along their impact-oriented growth journey."

Sina Afra, Founder of the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation: "Building effective startups of the future is only possible through long-term partnerships."

Sina Afra, President of the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation, has said: "We believe in the potential of young people to create impact, and we care about supporting them under long-term programs. Through this venture builder model that we have launched in cooperation with TSKB, we are building not only the ideas but also the teams behind those ideas. We aim to grow initiatives that will contribute to Türkiye's sustainable future with strategic guidance and the support of a strong community."

Applications will be received until August 28, 2025

The program, for which applications can be filed until August 28, 2025, consists of two modules: ideation and advanced stage. The first module will be for startups at the ideation stage, while the second module will be for advanced startups. During the program, comprehensive support will be offered for both levels of initiatives with self-assessment, tailor-made training, mentoring and practical content. Framework of the program's three-phase structure aims to grow startups in local and global markets through processes such as business idea development, MVP (Minimum Viable Product) production, market entry, investor interviews, strategy bootcamps and demo days.