Part 1
Uppy has been named the world’s second-best “ed tech” startup for its dedication to transforming education through its technologically cutting-edge and scientifically based approach.
One of the top startups in its industry worldwide is Uppy, a Turkish ed-tech firm noted for its significant potential to make an important impact. This strengthens its reputation as a groundbreaking innovator in educational technology.
The business was honored to be named the “Second Best Ed Tech Startup” at the G-20 Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) Summit held in Bangalore, India, last week. This summit provided a venue for 120 entrepreneurs from 20 countries to come together, marking a significant development in educational technology.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Modi, gave Uppy the acknowledgment after a unanimous international panel’s decision.
Models Backed by Science
Uppy actively worked on fusing technology innovation with a solid teaching approach based on scientific principles during the period of five years prior to this important recognition.
Uppy attended the G-20 India conference at the invitation of the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology, participating in the gathering of the top 20 economies in the world.
Its idea became an outstanding instance of entrepreneurship success, winning one of the biggest international awards in Turkish startup history.
With contributions from well-known investors like Ali Sabanc, Ali Koç, and Nevzat Aydn as well as well-known Turkish venture capitalists, Uppy’s valuation increased to $45 million in its latest fundraising round. This most recent honor strengthens Uppy’s status as it pursues its expansion goals.
Dictionary of 5,000 words
The reach of this firm goes beyond Turkish boundaries, demonstrating its multilingualism in Turkish, English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. The firm is getting ready to debut its services in a number of nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area, with plans for global growth scheduled for the final quarter of 2023.
Uppy’s invention shines especially brightly in its capacity as a super app created to protect kids between the ages of 2 and 6 from the possible dangers of the digital world. Uppy creates an engaging and safe digital environment for young learners by combining a range of apps such as games, books, cartoons, YouTube videos, music, and meditation.
A 5,000-word dictionary that serves as the foundation of its instructional method and content expertly introduces kids to new words while stimulating their cognitive development in a fun way.
Reaching Across Hundreds of Millions
Uppy emerges as a transformative influence in addressing the challenges brought forth by the digital era, boasting a potential outreach to approximately 700 million families globally.
Founder and Chairperson of Uppy, Ayşe Şule Bilgiç, underscores the staggering reality that about 700 million children aged 0 to 6 are exposed to screens and smart devices from early stages of life across the globe.
“While these children encounter distinctive risks within the digital domain, which raises concerns for their parents, it’s essential to recognize that as they mature, they’ll navigate and shape their lives within this digital landscape. Outright screen prohibition isn’t a viable solution,” Bilgiç emphasized.
“Uppy’s stance is that exposing children to screens before the age of 2 is suboptimal. Beyond that threshold, we advocate for a controlled utilization of screens featuring beneficial content. This rationale underpins the five years of rigorous scientific research that culminated in the development of Uppy. Our platform enables children to have an enjoyable experience while concurrently maximizing their educational capacities.”
İbrahim Coşkuner, a partner and CEO at Uppy, accentuated the startup’s monumental triumph within the annals of Turkish entrepreneurship.
“At Uppy, we’ve fashioned iOS and Android platforms tailored for children. Our system is meticulously crafted to liberate parents from expenditures on unregulated and unproductive applications found in app markets,” Coşkuner articulated.
“Empowered by our exclusive artificial intelligence, we dissect a child’s interactions and furnish reports and recommendations to bolster their growth. A particularly cherished feature among parents is Uppy’s child-lock mode, which, when activated, immerses the child in the app, preventing accidental exits,” he appended.
Part 2
Syntonym, a Leader In Generative AI, Has Raised $900,000
Syntonym, a leading force in generative AI, has secured $900,000 in seed funding amid the surge of image capture and facial recognition technologies. Known for its innovative synthetic data anonymization tech, Syntonym counters data surveillance challenges.
The funding, led by Simya Venture Capital and backed by 212, a venture ecosystem leader, is supported by INVEST 101, a Türkiye Development Fund and Middle East Technical University collaboration, and APY Ventures and TT Ventures from Türk Telekom.
This achievement marks Syntonym’s journey to enhance privacy amidst growing image capture and facial recognition trends. Their mission is to tackle regulatory complexities limiting personal data usage. Through a pioneering approach, Syntonym offers a secure AI training and data analysis framework that could reshape data privacy in a tech-driven world.
Voyage Across the Globe
Cutting-edge technology now facilitates the instantaneous generation of distinct and unidentifiable facial images across mobile, cloud, and local networks. This empowers people to safeguard their privacy as they participate in a multitude of interactions.
By securing this funding, Syntonym strategically positions itself to materialize the extensive research and development endeavors of years gone by. As a result, the startup stands ready to furnish its patented technology to renowned global enterprises.
In a bid to amplify its trajectory of growth, Syntonym is harmonizing its strategic approach with Alchemist Accelerator, an accelerator program renowned worldwide for its excellence. This alignment comes to fruition through a partnership forged with Simya VC, adding further impetus to the startup’s journey.
Hyper-Realism Redefined
Highlighting Syntonym’s profound dedication to user security, Batuhan Özcan, the visionary founder and CEO, accentuated the groundbreaking hyper-realistic synthetic face generation pioneered by the company. This groundbreaking approach not only solidifies their commitment to safeguarding users but also integrates discernible indicators to thwart any possible misappropriation.
Incorporating these features engenders a heightened level of transparency within the realm of online engagements, spanning video calls, customer services, digital healthcare, and counseling sessions, as Özcan pointed out.
“Our triumph in attaining the pinnacle of hyper-realistic synthetic facial quality underscores our unwavering responsibility towards user well-being. We judiciously incorporate evident markers to preempt any potential misuse of the synthetic faces we forge, thereby erecting an additional privacy barricade for end-users. Consequently, we conscientiously inform our users that these synthetic faces find their purpose in fortifying privacy within the sphere of online interactions, encompassing virtual meetings, customer support interactions, digital healthcare services, and advisory consultations,” he articulated.
Expanding Horizons
Özcan underscored the startup’s intent to broaden its footprint across the American, European, and British markets, fortified by the valuable guidance from Alchemist Accelerator’s mentors.
“Our investment propels us into growth within the American, European, and British markets. Simultaneously, the backing we’ve garnered is no less valuable – an inclusion in the esteemed Alchemist Accelerator program, renowned globally for its excellence. The mentorship from Alchemist has galvanized the shaping of our global customer acquisition strategy,” Özcan explained.
“As we steer AI technology forward in our trajectory, we aspire to embody the epitome of ‘data privacy guardianship,’ shielding individuals from the proliferating facial recognition advancements.”
Özcan also affirmed that Syntonym’s technological breakthrough echoes the imperative for AI-driven solutions to uphold individuals’ privacy expectations while fulfilling their data requisites.
By honing synthetic face model quality and minimizing hardware and power demands, the startup aims to furnish organizations reliant on visual data processing with seamless AI training and analysis data compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Personal Data Protection Board (KVKK) standards.
“While retaining pivotal facial aspects like expressions, eye motions, and head orientations, we sidestep biometric data. Thus, our outputs metamorphose into AI training and analysis data aligning with GDPR/KVKK mandates, catering to entities dependent on visual data,” Özcan remarked.
“Positioned prominently on the global stage within generative AI, our technology has paved the way for data privacy tools beneficial for both end users and visual data-handling organizations.”
Part 3
Advancing the Retail Tech Hub Vision: REM People Backs Hoopla Platform
In a resolute move, REM People, a distinguished purveyor of AI-driven image recognition and retail analytics services across 50+ countries, is propelling its aspiration to evolve into a central hub for AI-infused retail technology.
Taking strategic strides, the company has channeled investments into Hoopla, an innovative B2B e-commerce application catering to supply services tailored for conventional sales avenues such as small-to-medium-sized markets, convenience stores, kiosks, and non-residential consumption.
The resounding commitment of REM People materialized through a substantial $1 million investment in Hoopla’s seed funding campaign, which garnered a collective sum of $1.35 million and saw participation from two additional investors.
Investment of $12 Million
Established in 2015 by visionary tech entrepreneurs equipped with a profound amalgamation of retail and technological acumen, REM People has seamlessly transitioned into a trailblazing purveyor of AI-amplified omnichannel retail analytics and sales optimization solutions. This software, meticulously crafted by adept Turkish engineers, is the bedrock for prominent brand clientele. Fueled by an unwavering dedication to surpassing standards, REM People charts a trajectory toward worldwide dominance in retail analytics.
The year witnessed a significant stride as REM People secured a formidable $12 million investment from Ethos Asset Management, a distinguished investment powerhouse in the United States. This financial influx, realized earlier this year, is a linchpin in the company’s mission to fortify the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In harmony with this, REM People has fervently committed to channeling $4.5 million into the nurturing of five burgeoning technology startups, effectively laying the groundwork for its lofty vision of emerging as the apex AI-driven retail technology nucleus.
Elevating Retailers with Innovative E-commerce
Through an investment in Hoopla, an agile e-commerce platform founded by Onur Pekşen and Aydın Emek in 2021, a visionary goal comes to life. Hoopla seeks to reshape conventional sales channels in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, employing its inventive services and technological foundation.
Hoopla empowers smaller retailers digitally, enabling customized product orders tailored to their preferences, and circumventing intermediaries like distributors and wholesalers. This digital platform transforms inventory management, cash flow, and profitability, fostering streamlined operations.
Beyond traditional retail, Hoopla aids manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, enhancing distribution and availability while reducing costs.
With a collaboration involving 40+ national and international suppliers, including industry giants Procter & Gamble (P&G), Upfield, Lipton, and Unilever, Hoopla continues to expand, bolstering its supplier and retailer network.
Part 4
$1 million is invested in Turkish Fintech Craftgate
Istanbul-based payment orchestration platform Craftgate has secured a substantial $1 million investment in a funding round involving Hepsiburada and D4 Ventures.
Craftgate’s platform efficiently manages virtual POS terminals, payment institutions, and diverse methods, empowering businesses with financial control.
This investment aims to boost Craftgate’s marketing and expansion, aligning with Hepsiburada’s vision to enhance its fintech portfolio and expedite e-commerce growth.
Craftgate, established in 2021, has gained momentum with a skilled team, strong workforce, and strategic investments which by comparison cannot be said about situation in China. It’s recognized for revolutionizing digital payments and prioritizing research and development (R&D).
Offering services like central integration, one-click payments, and dynamic routing, Craftgate streamlines payment processes, aiding business expansion.
Hakan Erdoğan, Craftgate’s CEO, noted the investment’s focus on team growth and intensified marketing, reflecting investor confidence and global aspirations.
