Sabancı Initiative Euronova Receives Investment from Automotive Giants!
Founded by Burcu Saner Okan, a faculty member in the Sabancı University Inovent partnership’s Materials Science and Nanotechnology program, Euronova Advanced Sustainable Plastic Materials Company has achieved a first in its field by securing a significant investment.
Under the leadership of Ahu Serter, Chairman of Fark Holding, entrepreneur, and angel investor, this investment round saw the participation of Fark Holding CEO Ömer Burhanoğlu, Farplas CEO Emin Ataç, and Farplas Executive Board Member Tolga Yalgı, all investing in Euronova in exchange for shares.
In 2024, a ceremony was held at Sabancı University to commemorate Euronova’s investment. Participants included Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı, Sabancı University President Prof. Dr. Yusuf Leblebici, and Fark Holding Chairman Ahu Serter. During the event, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director Ziya Alpay provided information about the investment. Sabancı University President Prof. Dr. Yusuf Leblebici and Fark Holding Chairman Ahu Serter shared their thoughts on the investment with guests and academics.
Among the attendees were Fark Holding CEO Ömer Burhanoğlu, Farplas CEO Emin Ataç, Farplas Executive Board Member Tolga Yalgı, Sabancı University Secretary General Ali Çalışkan, and Sabancı University Inovent Materials Science and Nanotechnology program faculty member Burcu Saner Okan.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı stated, “As Sabancı University, we have always believed in the power of creating and developing together. We believe this triangle of success consisting of the private sector, public sector, and academia, which we have implemented at our university, greatly contributes to society. Today’s effort is a successful example of this.” She continued:
“I believe this partnership is just the beginning. As a university that places great importance on research, we envisioned many things during our establishment. The first was to become a world-class university. Thanks to your contributions, we are climbing higher in world rankings. Secondly, it is essential for the sustainability of our former graduates to return as faculty members. This is very important for the continuity of knowledge. This work is also one of the most important examples for financial sustainability. We are a very young university. There are many responsibilities and duties for all of you regarding the future of our university. I thank Fark Holding and Fark Labs for supporting this project and everyone involved. I am very happy to be here today, and I wish you success.”
Sabancı University President Prof. Dr. Yusuf Leblebici also emphasized the importance of university-industry collaborations in his speech, saying, “We highly value university-industry partnerships at Sabancı University. We support initiatives, innovative projects, and research by our students, faculty members, and the entire university community. The results we achieve underscore the importance our university places on this subject. Seventeen percent of our full-time faculty members at the Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences are active entrepreneurs and have founded their companies. This is a very high and successful rate compared to Turkey as a whole. As one of Turkey’s leading and one of the world's prominent research universities, we continue to work to maintain our top position in the TÜBİTAK Entrepreneurial and Innovative University Index every year. Within the scope of these efforts, last year we established the first innovation office among all universities in Turkey. We are proud to have a Chief Innovation Officer dedicated to this area. Through the successful work of this office, we will continue our industrial collaborations and support for ventures. Today, we are at the signing ceremony of Euronova, a joint venture established as a result of these efforts. I believe this new formation will benefit all society and stakeholders and wish them success.”
In her speech, Fark Holding Chairman Ahu Serter stated, “The collaboration between Sabancı University Inovent and Fark Holding is one of the best examples of university-industry relations. This collaboration began in 2012 with the investment in Surgitate, founded by Sabancı University faculty member Özge Akbulut, and has continued to grow successfully. Our investment in Euronova demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and innovation. Euronova’s material technologies add value to the industry while protecting nature. This partnership is an important step toward a more sustainable future.”
Fark Holding CEO Ömer Burhanoğlu highlighted the importance of this collaboration for both parties, saying, “This investment in Euronova is a significant step towards Fark Holding’s strategic growth goals. This collaboration will not only reduce environmental impacts but also enhance our competitiveness in the global market. Euronova’s technological innovations will strengthen our leadership in the sector and contribute to a sustainable future.”
In her speech, Euronova founder and Sabancı University faculty member Burcu Saner Okan stated, “The Sabancı University Innovation and Entrepreneurship team significantly contributed to the investment process by approaching investors with the right business plan. At our university, where university-industry collaboration is always prioritized, ideas that started as research projects with TÜBİTAK grants have now become a fine example of industrial transformation, combined with the vision of Fark Labs.”
Euronova Advanced Sustainable Plastic Materials Company, which brought investment in the materials field to Sabancı University, aims to undertake promising projects for the future with this investment support. Euronova, aiming to make a difference in the sector with its work on sustainability and innovative material production, will continue to work towards a more sustainable future by reducing environmental impacts.
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