Gamechangers Turkey 2024 … from Appsilon diamonds created in the lab, to Biolive plastics made from olive stones … Oleatex’s plant-based vegan leather, and WeWalk’s smart canes for visually impaired

August 27, 2024

Istanbul has always been a hotbed of ingenuity, a collision of continents and cultures provides the context for the fusion of ideas, and catalyst of innovation. A youthful population with high aspirations means that new ideas are enthusiastically embraced, fuelled by a heritage of entrepreneurship.

Over the last 20 years I have worked with many Turkish companies, helping them to develop new strategies that embrace innovation and growth, and the leadership skills to win in a rapidly changing world. Companies like Koç and Sabancı have become large diversified growth, often developing partnerships with global brands.

While the Turkish market is vibrant, I have encouraged companies to think bigger, to develop stronger international brands, to reach out to adjacent continents, and think more strategically about their innovations. At Eczacibasi we focused on building brands, at Ulker we focused on innovative products and ventures, at Abdi Ibrahim we explored new healthcare business models beyond pharma, at Turkcell we focused on business growth internationally. Trendyol, having secured investment from Alibaba, is perhaps one of the most impressive digital innovators, alongside a whole ecosystem of gaming entrepreneurs lead by Peak and Dream Games.

One of the biggest shifts which I have seen is a real passion for innovating better. As an example, Aster Textile, a long-term client, have recognised the opportunity of sustainable innovation – not just developing products that are good for the environment, or society – but which can stand out to consumers, making a positive contribution to society, and drive more profitable growth too.

Sustainable innovation is a key opportunity for Turkish companies. This is why this year’s Gamechangers Turkey focuses on the best innovators who combine purpose with profit, to find better ways to innovate and grow:

  • Appsilon Enterprises is a deep tech company that grows diamonds in the lab. Appsilon’s journey began in 2018 with a group of 3 friends in their native Turkey.  Although now officially headquartered in the Netherlands, their workshops are in Istanbul. Cofounder and CEO Taylan Erol says “Our expertise lies in the realm of synthesizing diamonds that are identical in every way to those that occur naturally. Through advanced techniques and state-of-the-art equipment, we are able to create diamonds that are indistinguishable from those found in nature, much like how ice in a refrigerator is identical in composition and structure to ice found in Antarctica.”
  • Biolive produce bio-plastics made from olive stones. Founded in 2017 with the support of Zorlu Holding, the biotech company is making significant strides in the bioplastics industry. Their innovative approach uses olive pits to produce biopolymers, positioning them as a leader in sustainable material solutions. In 2022, Biolive opened its biopolymer production facility in Istanbul, boasting an annual capacity of 9,600 tons. This state-of-the-art facility supplies bioplastic raw materials to the plastics market, reinforcing Biolive’s commitment to environmental sustainability and industrial innovation.
  • Oleatex, the Turkish brand creating plant-based leather, was founded in 2020. The name comes from the Latin oleum, meaning olives. One of the issues with the  olive oil industry is that the waste, namely olive mill pomace. It can be utilized as fuel or organic fertilizer, however, this can generate unwanted carbon emissions, depending on the conditions. Leather is one of fashion’s most commonly used materials despite it hurting the environment and the workers who manufacture it – not forgetting animals, too, if it is cow-derived and not synthetic.
  • WeWalk is a thriving startup incubated in 2020, embodying the vision of a team with a decade-long background in assistive technologies. The use of  “community customization,” rejects traditional additive methods that prioritise the needs of able-bodied users as the primary design blueprint. WeWalk crafted by a team that includes individuals with visual impairments, draws from decades of collective experience to offer a comprehensive suite of products and services, including WeWalk Smart Cane, WeAssist, and more.

Here are some more examples from Turkey:

  • Greeng Innovation: Specializes in sustainable and ecological construction and insulation materials.
  • Can Microgreens: Focuses on hydroponic growing solutions and microgreens growing kits that are fully compostable and free from plastic and pesticides.
  • Plant Factory: Engages in vertical indoor farming to improve food quality and reduce energy waste.
  • Palgae: Uses algae to produce bio-raw materials that can replace hazardous petroleum-based granules.
  • Sensgreen: Provides IoT solutions for healthier and more efficient buildings.
  • Inres: A deep-tech company pioneering green energy solutions.
  • Finceptor: Works on democratizing and securing Web3 finance.
  • Ecording: Uses drone technology to plant seeds in hard-to-reach areas, promoting reforestation.
  • Reengen: Offers energy management and IoT solutions to optimize energy consumption.
  • Tarla.io: Provides precision agriculture solutions to help farmers optimize their crop yields and reduce waste.

Sustainability is the best opportunity for business to drive smarter innovation and profitable growth.

People increasingly see companies as irresponsible, greedy and inhuman. Climate change and economic downturn have accelerated new expectations. Businesses need to reengage people, to understand their new priorities, rethink their role and propositions, work in new ways, and enable people to do more themselves.  Resolving the many paradoxes faced by customers who want the best things but also to do “the right thing” and business leaders who want to grow but in more responsible ways.

There are many ideas about sustainability – mostly around the worthy themes of “reduce, recycle, reuse”. However we need to go beyond that initial phases to “rethink” business.

Sustainable innovation is more positive not less negative, about opportunities not problems, driven by creativity not compliance, a whole business challenge, not left to a few people. It is about connecting social, environment and economic challenges, to achieve a new balance, that is more different from competitors and inspiring your people. And it’s about building brands in way that builds capacity rather than just making sales, enabling people to do more for themselves and their worlds, rather than just buy your product or service.

Here are some more useful links to get you started:

Contact me at peterfisk@peterfisk.com

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Join me at the Global Marketing Summit 2024 in Istanbul, where I will be delivering the opening keynote “Invincible: Building brands for more sustainable growth”

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