Turkey’s Best of the Best Entrepreneurs Announced The project that generates usable water out of waste water and short-term rental marketplace won the first prizes.

ANKARA – The Business Plan Competition organized by Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) – Turkey finalized. Awards were announced with a ceremony that hosted Vice Prime Minister Ali Babacan.

Thirty-three entrepreneurs joined the Business Plan Competition organized by GEP-Turkey and sponsored by Garanti Bank, Microsoft, Intel, General Electric and Pegasus. Participant entrepreneurs were selected among finalists of business plan competitions organized by several organizations including the Middle East Technical University, Bilkent University, Sabancı University, MIT Enterprise Forum, and Endeavor.

Entrepreneurs were evaluated by a jury formed of American and Turkish entrepreneurs, in parallel tracks for early and growth stage enterprises. Top three teams in two tracks were announced by Vice Prime Minister Ali Babacan during the Award Ceremony held on Wednesday, 30 May 2012. The following entrepreneurs and projects won prizes in two categories:

Early Stage

1. Green Age Tech – Mehmet Enes Kutluca – with the project that generates usable water out of waste water.
2. Antropi Education Tech – Abdullah Erdoğan – with the smart board software project.
3. Exa-Tech – Serdar Alemdar & Emre Erçin – with visual sensory software for sports performance management project.

Growth Stage

1. HemenKiralik.com – Remi Onur & Rina Onur & Mehmet Ülkü & Alper Kaya – short-term rental search platform.
2. Info Dif Ltd. – Kerem Çalışkan & Salih Eren Parlakgümüş –image processing system.
3. Hediyemo – Altuğ Acar & Pınar Kart – social and mobile gift sending and payment platform.

Finalists will have the chance to receive support from American investors including famous Silicon Valley investors and Turkish angel investors forming the jury as well as cash awards. Successful entrepreneurs will be hosted in the US to engage with clients, investors and suppliers and join with entrepreneurs of famous companies including Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram.

Entrepreneurs who could not make it to the finals were invited to speed mentoring sessions to join and exchange ideas with successful American entrepreneurs and early-stage investors.