--- title: Village Capital and MetLife Foundation Award $20,000 to Turkish Financial Technology Startups in Istanbul description: Village Capital and MetLife Foundation Award $20,000 to Turkish Financial Technology Startups in Istanbul --- [![Village Capital](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hubfs/VilCap_2019/LogoHorizontal-color_2022.png)](https://vilcap.com/news-and-views) ![Open menu](https://vilcap.com/images/hamburger.svg) Open Main Menu [Village Capital](https://vilcap.com/) ![Close menu](https://vilcap.com/images/close.svg) Close Main Menu - [Home](https://vilcap.com/) - About Us - [The Village Capital Story](https://vilcap.com/about-us/story) - [Our Team](https://vilcap.com/about-us/our-team) - [Careers](https://vilcap.com/careers) - [Programs for Entrepreneurs](https://vilcap.com/programs) - [Programs for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs)](https://vilcap.com/eso-programs) - [News & Publications](https://vilcap.com/news-and-publications) - [Blogs](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/posts) - [Press Releases](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/press-releases) - [Reports](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/reports) - How We Support Entrepreneurs - [Our Tools for Startups and ESO's](https://vilcap.com/our-tools) - [Peer-Selected Investment](https://vilcap.com/entrepreneurs/peer-selected-investment) - [Impact Investing](https://vilcap.com/impactinvesting) - [Our Alumni](https://vilcap.com/our-alumni) - [Become a Mentor](https://vilcap.com/mentors) - [Support Our Mission](https://vilcap.com/get-involved) - [Results & Impact](https://vilcap.com/results) [Donate](https://donorbox.org/donate-to-vilcap) June 13, 2018 in [Fintech](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/posts/tag/fintech) # Village Capital and MetLife Foundation Award $20,000 to Turkish Financial Technology Startups in Istanbul By Emily O'Hara - Share - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/posts/2018/06/13/village-capital-metlife-foundation-award-20000-financial-health-startups-forum-turkey&text=Village%20Capital%20and%20MetLife%20Foundation%20Award%20$20,000%20to%20Turkish%20Financial%20Technology%20Startups%20in%20Istanbul) - [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/posts/2018/06/13/village-capital-metlife-foundation-award-20000-financial-health-startups-forum-turkey) - [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/posts/2018/06/13/village-capital-metlife-foundation-award-20000-financial-health-startups-forum-turkey) (Istanbul, Turkey) — On May 31 in Istanbul, MetLife Foundation and Village Capital hosted the MetLife Foundation Financial Health Forum: Turkey, which brought together eleven Turkish startups working to improve financial health for low-to moderate-income populations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the program’s conclusion, two startups were selected to receive grants from MetLife Foundation: ## **Winner 1: Microfon** ![](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Microfon.jpg?width=1419&height=944&name=Microfon.jpg) ## **Winner 2: Tekkredi** ![](https://newsandviews.vilcap.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Tekkredi.jpg?width=1419&height=944&name=Tekkredi.jpg) The eleven participating startups were selected from nearly 40 applications, and were chosen based on their potential to scale. They went through a two-day training, focused around Village Capital’s VIRAL Framework, which is focused on scaling successful businesses and raising investment capital. The startups received guidance from mentors, investors and local sector experts, including MetLife senior leaders. Prior to the forum itself, an additional nine MetLife employees in Istanbul volunteered to mentor startups in business model development and building a go-to-market strategy and stakeholder engagement plan. The startups represented a wide range of financial services, from alternative lending services to crowdfunding platforms. The full list of participating startups is below. “MetLife Foundation is proud to partner with Village Capital on this effort to identify and accelerate early-stage companies who are building actionable solutions to help individuals, families, and small businesses in Turkey achieve long-term financial wellbeing,” said Sarah Willis, Program Manager, MetLife Foundation. “The startups that participated in the Forum all show promise for scaling their solutions, confirming MetLife Foundation’s belief that financial technology is a powerful opportunity to deliver appropriate and well-designed products and services at scale and lower cost.” “As a leading insurer in Turkey, MetLife is dedicated to excellence in products and services, innovation, and corporate citizenship,” said Deniz Yurtseven, SVP, General Manager, Met Life Turkey. “Through our partnership with MetLife Foundation and Village Capital, we can unlock innovative thinking in the broader financial services industry, drive impact for underserved customers, and build an intrapraneurial spirit amongst our employees.” The May 31 forum was part of a [four-part program](https://vilcap.com/2018/01/03/village-capital-metlife-foundation-award-50000-middle-east-financial-health-startups-forum-dubai/) to support financial health startups in Poland, Ukraine, Turkey and the UAE. The fourth and last forum will be held in Ukraine later this year. Village Capital’s global work is supported by USAID’s U.S. Global Development Lab PACE Initiative, which recognizes that governments and the private sector can work together to solve society’s largest problems. “Turkey should be part of any conversation about startups building a more inclusive financial sector,” said Allie Burns, Managing Director of Village Capital. “We were thrilled to work with MetLife Foundation to bring together these entrepreneurs, introduce them to MetLife employees, and help them build their potential to scale.” The full list of startups that participated in the MetLife Foundation Financial Health Forum: Turkey are below: [**Akaunting**](https://akaunting.com) is a free, open source and online accounting software for small businesses and freelancers. [**ComPay**](http://www.compay.com.tr) is a platform that brings banks, merchants and consumers together in a single integration and creates a better way to expand new financial experiences. [**Fongogo**](https://fongogo.com/) is a crowdfunding platform offering rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding solutions for creative projects and startups. [**Kiraplus**](https://www.kiraplus.com/) is a digital platform that brings landlords, tenants, realtors and property managers together, reducing stress and risk levels during the renting process by screening tenants and offering various alternative methods of payment and insurance products. [**Kredico**](http://www.kredico.com) is a user-friendly credit scoring platform that helps companies measure the risk of their clients or business partners before deferred payment sales. [**Manim**](http://www.manim.me) is a unique platform for aggregating bank accounts and synchronising ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. Microfon is a crowdfunding platform for students to fund their financial needs in three ways through individual grantors and banks. [**miks**](http://www.miksinvest.com) is an innovative investment platform for individuals that allows small and medium scale investors to benefit from the majority of portfolio management services that only large scale investors have benefited from thus far. [**Nakitex**](http://www.nakitex.com) is a mobile app that allows users to withdraw cash from convenient locations such as stores, cafes, and retailers. [**Paym.es**](http://paym.es) is a secure shopping chatbot that helps users sell or purchase items by asking them a series of questions, and is as easy as chatting with a friend through messenger apps. [**Tekkredi**](http://www.tekkredi.com) is a credit platform that connects banks with individuals for debt consolidation and focuses on risk based underwriting.   **About MetLife Foundation** *MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 to continue MetLife’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its founding through the end of 2017, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $783 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. In 2013, the Foundation committed $200 million to financial inclusion, and our work to date has reached more than 6 million low-income individuals in 42 countries. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit* [*metlife.org*](https://www.metlife.com/about/corporate-responsibility/metlife-foundation/index.html)*.  * **About MetLife (EN)** *MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit* [*http://www.metlife.com*](http://www.metlife.com)*.* **About MetLife (TR)** *MetLife, Inc (NYSE: MET), kendisine bağlı ortaklıkları ve iştirakleri ("MetLife") aracılığıyla, bireysel ve kurumsal müşterilerinin değişen dünyalarına yön vermelerine yardım etmek üzere sigorta, yıllık gelir sigortaları, çalışan yan hakları ve varlık yönetimi alanlarında hizmet veren, dünyanın önde gelen finansal hizmet şirketlerinden biridir. 1868 yılında kurulmuş olan ve 40'tan fazla ülkede faaliyet gösteren MetLife; Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, Japonya, Latin Amerika, Asya, Avrupa ve Ortadoğu'da pazar lideri konumundadır. Daha fazla bilgi için* [*www.metlife.com*](http://www.metlife.com/) * adresini ziyaret ediniz.* **About Village Capital** *Village Capital has served over 500 ventures worldwide, building disruptive innovations in energy, financial technology, agriculture, health, and education. Village Capital has launched 39 programs in 9 countries to-date and made 58 peer-selected investments. Participant enterprises have raised more than $118 million in follow on funding to date, creating 8,500 jobs and serving 5 million customers worldwide.* *For more information, please visit* [*https://www.vilcap.com*](https://www.vilcap.com)*.* ### Join our newsletter community By Emily O'Hara Our newsletters share the latest about our programs, trends, ecosystem leaders, and innovative entrepreneurs in the impact world. Get the latest insights, right in your inbox by subscribing: Subscribe Village Capital needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. 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