Ford Otosan, a joint venture of Koç Holding, Türkiye’s largest conglomerate, and U.S. automotive giant Ford, is revamping its engagement with cutting-edge technologies that promise to revolutionize the future of mobility and software.

Drivenvent Series

To showcase its commitment, the carmaker recently hosted a series of events organized by its corporate venture capital company Driventure, centered around smart vehicles, long-lasting battery technologies and rapid mobile charging solutions.

The Drivevent series spanned across three different sessions held at Ford Otosan’s facilities in Gölcük, Eskişehir and Istanbul’s Sancaktepe. The primary goal of these sessions was to provide entrepreneurs with valuable networking opportunities and foster the exchange of ideas, expertise, and insights among participants.

Exploring Next-Generation Technologies

This reiterates the aim of Driventure, the corporate risk capital company established to support initiatives that will shape the future of the automotive industry and mobility, to explore next-generation technologies and applications.

The first of the events took place in Gölcük on June 7, followed by Eskişehir on June 8 and Sancaktepe Research and Development Center in Istanbul on June 20.

Participants at the event, where professional connections were established between Ford Otosan leaders and entrepreneurs, exchanged information on new technologies, market changes, and customer expectations.

Commitment to Innovation

Ford Otosan’s Growth and Smart Mobility Business Area Leader Canalp Gündoğdu said the company’s commitment to embracing innovation through Driventure demonstrates its dedication to staying at the forefront of the automotive industry.

Focus on Customer Expectations

İlknur İlkyaz Gül, general manager of Driventure, said the ecosystem fostered by the corporate venture capital company is of great importance in their quest for transformation in the industry.

“Our primary goal is to create a successful community consisting of startups that promote innovation in the automotive and mobility sectors. Ford Otosan’s Drivevent, which brings together key figures and entrepreneurs, has provided an invaluable platform for establishing professional connections. Through these events, we are creating an environment for sharing knowledge where new technologies, market changes and customer expectations are explored together,” said Gül.

Collaboration with Startups

Established as Türkiye’s first venture capital company in the automotive main industry in 2019, Driventure supports innovative and technology-based startups at the seed or early-stage level in the areas of smart mobility, electrification, connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, Industry 4.0, customer experience in the automotive industry and sustainability.

By closely monitoring the entrepreneurial ecosystem and expanding the startup pool every day, Driventure made contact with a total of 571 startups in 2022 and collaborated with 16 of them.

The company is engaged in projects to increase Ford Otosan’s agility in terms of new business development and support internal entrepreneurship. It also aims to create a strategic competitive advantage for the carmaker and gain market knowledge and insights.

The startups supported by Driventure can benefit from Ford Otosan’s extensive research and development organization, as well as its experience and engineering expertise, enabling them to accelerate their growth journey.