ABOUT US

We are a group of young entrepreneurs and professionals who believe that it is inevitable for Türkiye to realize the National Technology Initiative in order to raise its voice for a better world and to be one of developed societies in terms of economy and life quality.

Our Founding Story

At the outset, the Turkish Technology Team set its heart on a single thing: a more powerful Türkiye that takes the National Technology Initiative to the next level by developing technology.


Established in 2016 by a group of idealistic engineers and professionals who blended a sense of social responsibility with entrepreneurial spirit, the Turkish Technology Team Foundation set out to bringing together all people determined to rekindle their country’s relationship with high technology, its lost love.

In a short span of time, the Foundation connected with thousands of volunteers, stakeholders and contributors across Türkiye to form a great family. Drawing inspiration from history and guided by moral principles, it has reinterpreted the purpose of science and technology, implementing numerous original projects since its inception.

At the core of the National Technology Initiative, resonating with the idea of KIZILELMA (Crimson Apple) in Turkic history, lies the faith of a nation, which once demonstrated to the world what it could achieve through unity, in their country. Working day and night for a “High-Technology-Developing Türkiye,” the T3 Foundation, Türkiye´s largest civilian technology initiative, has not only generated widespread popular awareness but also fostered an ecosystem and catalyzed a paradigm shift in the realm of science and technology through its original projects.

Persistently striving to empower young people, who embody our nation´s greatest potential in tomorrow´s technological competitions, the Turkish Technology Team Foundation shall forge ahead with its original and innovative activities by building on its team spirit and without slowing down.

History

2016
The Turkish Technology Team Foundation was established on December 12, 2016.
2017
  • The Foundation initiated the Future Technology Stars program in alignment with Türkiye´s National Technology Initiative. Concurrently, it established the DENEYAP Technology Workshops aimed at nurturing future engineers, tech entrepreneurs and tech leaders with the vision of fostering a truly independent and robust Türkiye.
  • The Foundation inaugurated the T3 Startup Center which was designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with essential skills through entrepreneurship courses tailored for students. Additionally, the Center implements the Foundation’s own entrepreneurial projects.
  • The Foundation launched the National Teams of Technology Grant Program.
  • The Foundation introduced the National Technology Scholarship Program, providing financial support to middle school, high school, college, graduate and PhD students committed to contributing to the development of Türkiye’s indigenous technology.
2018
  • In collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports, and TUBITAK, the Turkish Technology Team Foundation launched the DENEYAP Türkiye project.
  • TEKNOFEST, Türkiye’s first and only aerospace and technology festival, made its debut in Istanbul.
  • The Take Off International Startup Summit took place for the first time.
  • Bilim Üsküdar, home to Türkiye’s top planetarium with a 14-meter diameter, was inaugurated.
2019
  • The Foundation launched DENEYAP technology workshops in 12 provinces within the scope of the DENEYAP Türkiye project.
  • The second edition of TEKNOFEST took place at Istanbul Airport, attracting 1,752,000 visitors. 17,373 teams and 50,000 individuals from all 81 provinces of Türkiye and 122 countries applied to participate in technology competitions spanning nineteen categories.
  • The Take Off International Startup Summit, the region’s foremost technology and startup event, returned for its second edition.
2020
  • DENEYAP technology workshops extended to 30 Turkish provinces as part of the DENEYAP Türkiye project.
  • The third edition of TEKNOFEST was held in Gaziantep, receiving 100,000 individual applications to participate in competitions.
  • The T3 Foundation launched the Bilim Türkiye project to enable the masses to access science and technology and to promote the idea of science centers across the nation.
2021
  • DENEYAP technology workshops extended to 55 Turkish provinces as part of the DENEYAP Türkiye project.
  • The fourth edition of TEKNOFEST was held in Istanbul. 44,192 teams and 200,000 individuals applied to participate in technology competitions spanning 35 categories.
  • The Foundation inaugurated the Keşif Kampüsü, a children's university featuring a unique educational model that integrates hands-on experiments at science centers with interactive workshops.
  • The DENEYAP Kart, a domestically-designed electronic card, was introduced.
2022
  • With the inauguration of additional DENEYAP technology workshops, the Foundation successfully reached its goal of operating workshops in all 81 provinces of Türkiye.
  • TEKNOFEST and the Take Off Startup Summit were held in Azerbaijan, marking the first time these events took place outside of Türkiye.
  • The Foundation launched the TEKNOFEST Startup Program as part of the T3 Startup Center, initially allocating a total of 3 million TL in grants.
  • The fifth national edition of TEKNOFEST took place across five cities in Türkiye's Black Sea region, with Samsun serving as the central location.
  • The first international DENEYAP technology workshop was inaugurated in Baku, Azerbaijan.
  • Launched under the motto “A Different Day in Education,” the Keşif Kampüsü commenced its operations in Gaziantep.
  • The T3 Academy, a distance education platform, was launched.
2023
  • With the inauguration of Özdemir Bayraktar Keşif Kampüsü in Samsun and Canik, the total number of discovery campuses increased to three.
  • As part of the Bilim Türkiye project, which welcome over one million participants in total, the number of center reached 18. With the launch of a Science Center in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the centers became operational in three countries.
  • The number of DENEYAP Technology Workshops reached 132 as workshops become operational in 81 cities across three countries.
  • As part of the Özdemir Bayraktar Scholarship Program, the T3 Foundation awarded scholarships to 4,000 students across four categories.
  • On the Turkish Republic’s centennial, TEKNOFEST took place in three provinces, drawing a total of 4,500,000 visitors. The number of applications surpassed one million, setting a new record.
  • Take Off, the region’s foremost startup summit, allocated $400,000 in investment awards.
     
2024
 
  • Within the scope of the Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Scholarship Program, scholarships were awarded to 5,000 students in 4 different categories. 
  • T3 AI Undergraduate Researcher Fellowship Program was organized for the first time.
  • TEKNOFEST, Türkiye's first and only Aviation, Space and Technology Festival, held its 10th festival in Adana. More than 1,650,000 competitors applied to TEKNOFEST Technology Competitions. 
  • Developed by Türkiye's Technology Team, Türkiye's largest language model T3 AI work has started.
  • The region's most comprehensive startup summit Take Off Istanbul was held.
2025
 
  • TEKNOFEST, Türkiye's largest technology and aviation festival, will hold its second festival abroad in the TRNC.