Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Türkiye’s largest conglomerate Koç Holding and U.S. automotive giant Ford Motor Co., is gearing up for the mobility revolution by actively seeking to outshine competitors through innovative breakthroughs.
Also known as one of Türkiye’s export powerhouses, the carmaker this week outlined its preparations for the mobility transformation at a summit organized by its venture capital arm, Driventure, which focuses on seed and early-stage startups in the auto-tech sector.
The "Future of Mobility" event brought together various players in the mobility ecosystem.
Particularly noteworthy was the Büyütech initiative, an automotive company that develops and manufactures passive-only perception solutions to make the roads safer.
The summit also showcased the mobility solutions developed by Turkish ventures that Driventure invested in, including Delivers.AI, Optiyol, Saha Robotics and the in-house venture Bluepath Robotics from Ford Otosan.
Mobility and smart manufacturing
Speaking at the event, Ford Otosan leader Güven Özyurt emphasized the increasing allure of the automotive sector with concepts like smart mobility and connectivity becoming integral to people’s lives.
He noted the transformation of the automotive world into a center of research and development (R&D) activities due to the entry of technology companies. Özyurt highlighted the necessity for companies to adapt rapidly to new business models and changes in the evolving landscape of smart mobility and intelligent manufacturing.
"At the point we have reached today, the automotive sector is at the forefront of various new ventures, big and small. We see that in this new era of mobility and smart manufacturing, companies need to make unprecedented changes at an extraordinary pace and embrace new business models and applications in order to succeed," he noted.
"As Ford Otosan, we are both setting the game and opening up opportunities for players in this ecosystem. In the entrepreneurship ecosystem, our priority is, of course, to bring innovative projects and talents into the economy. With this perspective, we aim to create added value by supporting technological and innovative solutions."
Broad spectrum investments
Ilknur Ilkyaz Gül, general manager of Driventure, outlined the mission of the company, which she says aims to discover and nurture ventures inspired by innovative ideas and technologies.
She explained that Driventure supports ideas developed across a wide spectrum, ranging from autonomous and connected vehicles to smart mobility, pushing boundaries to explore future technologies.
"Driventure, enabling the implementation of innovative projects, contributes significantly to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and our country's economy. Our goal is to lead the transformation in the industry by championing sustainable and smart mobility, strengthening the sector, and shaping the future together," said Gül.
In the rapidly growing global automotive ecosystem focused on technology and mobility-based ventures, Ford Otosan aims to gain a strategic competitive advantage and acquire information and insights from the market through Driventure.
Smart cameras by Büyütech
Canalp Gündoğdu, growth and smart mobility area leader at Ford Otosan, highlighted collaboration with startups and investments.
"Before using Büyütech's cameras, our managers visited the facilities where they produced and conducted research. We waited to be included in our manufacturer list, and our priority was high-quality standards. Now, we have started mass production. These components will also be exported abroad, opening the way for technology ventures to export," Gündoğdu said.
"Our current goal is to increase the number of ventures like Büyütech. Additionally, we are working to increase the number of ventures emerging from within the organization. Ultimately, we know that we will be more successful in the mobility revolution through greater collaboration."
Büyütech's smart cameras inside vehicles contribute to driving safety by detecting the fatigue status of truck drivers. Additionally, the transformation of truck side mirrors into cameras reduces friction, leading to lower fuel consumption for the vehicle.
Boğaziçi Ventures invests nearly $5M in 18 startups
Boğaziçi Ventures, a prominent player in the Turkish venture capital landscape, concluded the challenging year of 2023 having invested a total of TL 150 million ($4.95 million) in 10 innovative startups that focus on disruptive technologies.
The investment portfolio, notably featuring ventures in the gaming sector, also saw eight follow-up investments.
The venture capital fund, equipped with various funds like BV Global, BV Growth, Sinerji, Joygame Pre-IPO and Liquidity Trading Pre-IPO, has finalized the groundwork for announcing new venture capital funds in 2024.
Leveraging its founders' deep expertise in technology and an extensive international network, Boğaziçi Ventures continued its vision of providing support and value to innovative, globally oriented and disruptive technology-focused startups and investors throughout 2023.
Portfolio expansion
Boğaziçi Ventures' BV Growth, an active early-stage investment fund, allocated a total of TL 150 million last year, encompassing investments in 10 new startups and additional investments in eight portfolio companies.
The BV Growth fund, primarily composed of gaming and gaming technology ventures, continued its investments in fintech, retail technologies, software as a service (SaaS) technologies, digital health, human resources and educational technologies.
Focusing on scalable ventures in these sectors capable of rapid international market growth, Boğaziçi Ventures expanded its portfolio by investing in innovative projects promising structural change and aspiring to become leading players in the future of disruptive innovation.
In 2023, the BV Growth Fund increased its total portfolio company count to 31, and the fund's value surged by 110%. Boğaziçi Ventures plans to sustain this momentum in 2024, with ongoing investments through the BV Growth fund, aiming to surpass 50 total portfolio companies.
Targeting $20 million investment in 2024
Boğaziçi Ventures is gearing up to bring a new dynamic to Türkiye’s investment ecosystem with its technology-focused secondary investment fund, BV Sinerji.
The fund's primary focus in 2024 will be on secondary investments, providing an exit opportunity for founders and angel investors looking to convert a small portion of their shares into cash.
Barış Özistek, managing partner and CEO of Boğaziçi Ventures, said in parallel with the global venture investment market, 2023 witnessed a contraction in both the number and size of investments in Türkiye.
"In a year where investors scrutinized projects more selectively, our Boğaziçi Ventures team diligently examined and, after lengthy evaluation processes, invested in 10 new technology companies whose potential we are convinced of. Following the year 2023, we will continue our investments and efforts in line with our mission," said Özistek.
"In 2024, we plan to invest over $20 million through all our venture capital investment funds. With different strategies and exit plans, these investment funds will continue to add value to both the ecosystem and our investors."
Türk Telekom backs semi-automatic offside system
Türk Telekom, a stalwart backer of Turkish football, has played a pivotal role in the implementation of the semi-automated offside system in the top-tier Süper Lig as of the second half of the 2023-24 season.
It marks the latest of Türk Telekom’s support for Turkish football, having already spearheaded innovations like Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology and Smart Stadium Projects.
The company agreed on a strategic partnership with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to bring the technology that helps resolve contentious offside calls with a speed and accuracy unimaginable less than a decade ago.
The semi-automated offside technology marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation of Turkish football, bringing in cutting-edge tech that will enhance the overall viewing experience for fans.
Türk Telekom utilized its robust fiber internet infrastructure and technological prowess to install the system not only in the stadiums of the league's 20 clubs but also at the TFF’s VAR center located in Istanbul’s Riva.
The semi-automated offside technology has already been employed in high-profile tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Its adoption in the Trendyol Süper Lig follows its debut in Italy's Serie A.
Ümit Önal, CEO of Türk Telekom, expressed his excitement about contributing to the digital evolution of Turkish football.
"Our contribution to the installation of the VAR system in stadiums and Riva, initiated simultaneously with the world in 2018, stands as one of the most significant examples of our role in the digital transformation of Turkish football. As proud technology supporters of the Turkish Football Federation, we are thrilled to have played a crucial role in bringing the semi-automated offside system to the Trendyol Süper Lig," Önal noted.
"This system, first utilized in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and subsequently in the UEFA Champions League and Italy's Serie A, has now been implemented in the stadiums of Trendyol Süper Lig teams with the support of Türk Telekom's robust fiber internet infrastructure and technological expertise."
Önal expressed the belief that the system would contribute to the enhancement of the technological experience and the joy of watching the game, dubbing it a crucial step in the digitalization of Turkish football.
"We extend our gratitude to everyone involved, especially the Turkish Football Federation, and commit to continuing our support for Turkish sports and athletes while pioneering further advancements in the digitalization of Turkish football," he added.
The technology uses 12 dedicated tracking cameras mounted under the roof of a stadium to track the ball and up to 29 data points of each individual player, 50 times per second, calculating their exact position on the pitch. The 29 collected data points include all limbs and extremities relevant for making offside calls.
Utilizing Türk Telekom's fiber internet infrastructure, the images of the on-field situation can be instantly shared with VAR referees in the Riva center and on-field referees.
By combining the limb and ball-tracking data, and applying artificial intelligence, the new technology provides an automated offside alert to the video match officials inside the video operation room whenever the ball is received by an attacker in an offside position.
Before informing the on-field referee, the video match officials will validate the proposed decision by manually checking the automatically selected kick point and the automatically created offside line, which is based on the calculated positions of the players' limbs.