The Thematic Acceleration Program, aiming to support women entrepreneurs in food and biotechnology, was held in Istanbul between May 16-18, as part of the Innovation in Women Program launched by the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) with the grant support of the Istanbul Development Agency.

Speaking at the program’s closing meeting, KADEM Board Member Atty. Dr. Canan Sarı said:

“With the Innovation in Women Project, many women entrepreneurs have realized their dreams to date. Some started their own businesses, taking their place in the sector as suppliers to large companies; some were employed by reputable institutions; and some continue to receive new awards. Our project has grown and become a brand over the years. It has been further strengthened by the interest shown by women entrepreneurs and the support of our stakeholders.”

“Our project was approved as a ‘Guided Project’ by the Istanbul Development Agency in its 8th term. Thus, our project gained program status. This year, for the first time, we launched the Thematic Acceleration Program. With this program, we aimed to empower women entrepreneurs, especially in fields such as food and biotechnology, provide them access to information, and connect them with investors. Women entrepreneurs here gained valuable experience in areas such as entrepreneurship, mentorship, investor meetings, and corporate collaborations in a short time. But perhaps most importantly, they took their first steps into a strong women entrepreneurship network.”

Women Entrepreneurs Participated in the Program with Their Developed Projects

 

The KADEM Innovation in Women Thematic Acceleration Program, designed to support women entrepreneurs and young women in university technology teams, aims to strengthen women’s position in the business world by offering entrepreneurship training, mentorship support, investor meetings, corporate collaborations, and strong networking opportunities.

Women entrepreneurs who applied to the program with projects developed in the fields of food and biotechnology were evaluated by an expert jury based on criteria such as entrepreneurial potential, business model innovation, market potential, and team qualifications.

Award-Winning Entrepreneurs Recognized

 

Women entrepreneurs, who had the opportunity to develop their projects for three days, made their presentations on Sunday, May 18, in two categories: pre-incubation and idea stage. Innovative and original projects were presented to the jury in both categories. Three projects in each category were deemed worthy of an award.

Award-winning women entrepreneurs received support such as 5 weeks of online mentorship, 1 year of intellectual and industrial property consultancy, and co-working space usage, in addition to the right to participate in the Innovation in Women Entrepreneurship Camp for the pre-incubation first-place winner.