Startup Spotlight #21: İltema

October 18, 2019

A material can be called efficient if it lasts longer or performs better than a traditional version of the current appliance but uses the same or less amount of energy. Or even if it provides an equal performance to the traditional version, but uses less energy. And the term “energy efficiency” is getting more and more important as our world struggling to regenerate new energy sources due to our unawareness and carelessness of industrial corporations.

What Iltema tries to achieve in our given situation is to make “efficient” textile material usage much more common in various industries like automotive or military defense and even in-door usage so that our world can take a breathe and we can save money. So, come and be a part of the change!

What is your first name?

Ahmet Ogulcan

Welcome, Ahmet Ogulcan! What is your surname?

YILMAZ

Can you type your email?

a.ogulcan@iltema.com.tr

What is the name of your startup?

İltema High Technology Materials' R&D L.L.C.

What is the website address of İltema High Technology Materials' R&D L.L.C.?

http://www.iltema.com.tr/

Where is your startup based?

Turkey

What are your targeted verticals for your startup?

Other_ Technical Textile, Energy

Tell us what your startup does.

We are an R&D company that works on technical textiles and brings innovative approaches to heating needs in industrial areas like electric vehicles, automotive industry, out-door & in-door materials, etc. with high technology and new generation materials and make available for implementing.

Tell us about your team.

There are 2 co-founders and 1 marketing responsible for our team. Ayhan Prepol, one of the co-founder, has more than 10 years of experience in nanotechnologies and textile applications and he is responsible for production and process planning. Mustafa EROL, another co-founder, has a PhD. on heat-releasing composites polymer and he is assoc. prof. in the department of metallurgical engineering. Ahmet Ogulcan YILMAZ, marketing responsible, has more than 5 years of experience in sales and marketing in different industries like textile, logistics, custom consultancy, jewelry, NGOs, etc.

When and why did you found your startup?

This story began in 2012 with a dream. Can a fabric transform a heat releasing structure without losing the primary features that make it a textile product? Thanks to Ayhan Prepol's experiences, he knew the energy and structural problem in sectors. When his experiences came together with Mustafa Erol academical knowledge, our product appeared as a result of industry and academy collaboration. After years of R&D activities, they established our company in 2016 when the market showed interest after the first prototypes.

What are your key and unique features?

Mass production thanks to our patented production method, 100% of flexibility, energy-saving and efficiency, lightweight, compatibility, high corrosion resistance, far-infrared working, portability, low production cost, and very large application areas thanks to these features

What is your growth like?

60% in 2019.

Tell us about the numbers that matter to you.

$100K revenue up to now, +10 strategical collaborations, $40K export, +2K fabric sold, 1 patent, 2 utility models, 8 awards, 2 EU regulations

What are your plans for next year and the next 5 years?

We completed the EU regulations process this year and our product is completely ready to grow in the market. We started to build our own production center. From now, we completely focus on customers and financial growth. Our target is €2M export in 2021 and extend our operations in 10 different countries. In 5 years we are targeting the increase in our revenue by over €10M. Apart from financial targets, we aim to create new textile-based technology, colder fabric, and combine it with our current product, heating fabric, AI and IoT technology. So, we want to create a fully functional fabric for every industry.

Did you receive any investments?

No.

Tell us 3 startups that excite you, and why?

Uservision - They have skills like Cambridge Analytica but acting ethical and legal. Also, they have the ability to understand customers exactly and show a roadmap to companies about their marketing operations. As a marketer, I always admire them and in love with their operations.ROITECH - Consumers are always seeking an easier way of shopping. They provide this easiness for the customer and provide the chance to grow more for companies. IoT technology is one of the leading topics in our day and they use it successfully. I think they have great potential to grow exponentially as a startup does.Fanaliz - FinTech is one of the areas that takes investment most. They are in the right place with the right product and exactly the right team. They are providing a chance to decreasing the risks in trade which is one of the painful points. Also, they have the ability to create tailor-made projects according to customer needs in the financial areas thanks to their talented team.