Organized with the collaboration of Ankara TEKMER and the support of Türkiye İş Bankası and KOSGEB, the Workup Rise & LEAP UK Acceleration Program, aimed at taking the local successes of nine startups to the global market, was successfully completed from September to November.
In the Workup Rise & LEAP program, successful startups from the Workup Acceleration Program network and LEAP Investment portfolio, developing pioneering solutions in artificial intelligence in fields like proptech, cybersecurity, martech, health, and finance, came together.
With the aim of supporting global scaling and gaining a competitive advantage in the global market, the first part of the Workup Rise & LEAP program, organized in partnership with Hackquarters Accelerator, took place online in Turkey in September and October. Entrepreneurs were comprehensively prepared for a month-long adventure in the UK with extensive training and one-on-one meetings.
The Goal: The Financial Center of the World, the UK!
The UK, home to Europe's largest entrepreneurship ecosystem, stands out as the third country with the most VC investment in the world in the first three quarters of 2023, totaling $15 billion. London, the financial center of the world, is also the city with the most VC investment in Europe. The UK, a primary target market for startups due to its global access and competitive opportunities, was considered the most suitable market for the accelerator program.
The London Adventure
The Workup Rise & LEAP UK Acceleration Program, planned considering the different target customers, business plans, and needs of participating startups, enabled them to achieve the highest efficiency from their one-month journey in the UK with specially prepared strategic roadmaps.
During the program, startups had the opportunity to share their customer-focused solutions, innovations in fintech, and novelties in data and artificial intelligence with investors, potential customers, and partners at the organized Scale Up Networking event. The event, attended by more than 130 valuable participants from the London entrepreneurship ecosystem, led to one-on-one meetings and potential new collaborations.
Throughout the Workup Rise & LEAP program, a series of educational programs was organized, covering different aspects of technology and innovation and prepared with rich, guiding content. Comprehensive, in-depth training provided by experts in fields like market entry and legal requirements in the UK, financial management, B2B marketing, corporate mindset, global scaling, strategic planning, and presentation techniques enabled entrepreneurs to add new dimensions to their vision and success.
Along with extensive training, one-on-one mentor meetings were held to support the growth journeys of participating companies by closely monitoring their needs. Meetings with industry-leading institutions, investors, and mentors on growth plans and investment opportunities allowed entrepreneurs to gain new perspectives focused on competing in the global market and scaling globally. Additionally, they had the opportunity to meet with experienced entrepreneurs who have achieved success by walking the same path, listen to their success stories, and benefit from their experiences.
One of the significant advantages of the Workup Rise & LEAP program was the special meetings organized with prestigious institutions in the UK, providing new collaboration opportunities. During the visit to the Google London office, entrepreneurs had the chance to experience Google's perspective on innovation and corporate mindset and obtain information about potential collaborations. In addition to the Google visit, the program startups met with LEAP Investment investors, the Turkish Ambassador to the UK, and the TÜSİAD London Representation to represent their innovations internationally. During these meetings, detailed discussions were held on the opportunities of the UK innovation ecosystem and the support that could be offered to Turkish entrepreneurs.
Workup Rise & LEAP UK Accelerator Program with Numbers!
