I’m starting my writing again after the summer break. I will continue to support, produce, and create at a very serious pace until the end of this year. I will continue to do my best to be useful in our country and our world, where such a challenging agenda is unfolding.
In this first article of the fall, I want to share some good news. Despite all the cyclical challenges, life goes on, and we continue to do our best. Because my schedule is so busy, I’m only now finding the opportunity to share this prestigious award and Moka-related developments with you.
I previously wrote an article about Moka, one of my initiatives, at the link:
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/mokadan-bonbona-rotadan-sasmayan-manevralar . It’s also quite interesting that the English version of this article is the most read of all. In fact, according to statistics provided to me, my articles are read in 123 countries. This is truly an honor for someone like me, a ‘Global Citizen’ with universal views. I will continue to write in Turkish, English, and Spanish with pleasure.
From 2014 to the Present
Moka’s progress since its founding in 2014 is commendable. How far we’ve come! I can briefly provide you with the following information:
2015
- We established the technological infrastructure for paying corporate invoices and began accepting invoice representative applications.
- We began developing our virtual POS infrastructure service, currently called MokaPOS.
- We facilitated more than 30,000 transactions.
2016
- We became one of the first payment institutions to receive a license from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA).
- We began offering our MokaPOS virtual POS service, currently used by nearly 2,500 member businesses, to member businesses.
- We launched the http://www.mokafatura.com website, allowing you to pay corporate invoices online using credit and debit cards.
- We reached a transaction volume of 5.4 million.
2017
- We strengthened our virtual POS solutions.
- We moved to our new office.
- We launched our Moka Mobile POS product, which allows card payments from mobile phones, on the Apple and Google Play stores.
- We completed our online application project to accept MokaPOS applications.
- We have successfully completed the process of compliance with international security standards and have obtained PCI-DSS certification.
2018
- We began accepting all MokaPOS applications online.
- We prepared our infrastructure for card storage services.
- We made a splash in the international arena and began establishing global partnerships.
We crowned all these positive developments with a prestigious international award in April. In April, we entered the Red Herring Top 100 Europe, one of the world’s most prestigious technology lists.
The award we received
About Red Herring
First, I’d like to inform you about Red Herring.
Red Herring is an organization that aims to publicize, support, and reach a wider audience with startups outside the Silicon Valley ecosystem. In addition to globally successful examples like Spotify, BlaBlaCar, and Shazam, local companies such as Mikro Ödeme (Wire Card) were also featured on the ‘Red Herring Top 100 Europe’ list. Among these, Pozitron, Evmanya, Sefamerve, Annelütfen, Markafoni, Sopsy, Tasit.com, idemama.com, Tikle, İninal, and İyzico were also featured on the ‘Red Herring Top 100 Europe’ list.
In an interview at the 2014 event, Red Herring CEO Alex Vieux stated that more than 60% of the companies deemed worthy of the award received investment within a year.
The Development of the Process
Now, let me tell you about the process we went through to join this prestigious group in the technology field.
We applied on behalf of Moka in mid-February 2018 to be listed in the RedHerring Top 100 Europe. In the application, we shared information about the company, including its 2016 and 2017 revenue and EBITDA, CEO information, the team’s strengths and weaknesses, the characteristics of the companies we receive third-party services from, and our competitive advantages and weaknesses. Following a phone call with Red Herring CEO Alex Vieux, we received an invitation to participate in the event, which honors Europe’s 100 most innovative technology companies.
Event Details
I can also share the following information about the event’s finale:
– The event took place in Amsterdam from 15-17 April 2018.
– My co-founder, Seyfi Erol, and our General Manager, Selim Güsar, attended the event.
– Our General Manager, Selim Güsar, gave a 12-minute presentation. Following the daily events and presentations, the award-winning applications were announced at the ceremony held on the final day, and Moka was listed among Europe’s 100 most innovative technology companies.
Seyfi Bey and Selim Bey at the Red Herring event…
The application information was evaluated in a meeting with Red Herring CEO Alex Vieux, and the score was determined based on a review of the presentation we shared. Over 2,000 applications were submitted to the competition. We are honored to have surpassed this large number of applicants and placed in the Top 100.
Our General Manager, Selim Bey, made the following statement after receiving the award: “We are very proud to have been awarded such a major award after intensive review and a meticulous selection process. All applicants are evaluated and analyzed based on more than 20 criteria. As Moka, we are delighted to have been able to present a world-class initiative.”
Red Herring CEO Alex Vieux commented on our success in his speech: “As always, selecting the Top 100 winners in 2018 was a very difficult task. New and experienced entrepreneurs continued to push the boundaries of innovation, and I congratulate Moka Payments Corporation on its success.”
In summary, thousands of candidates apply each year for the Red Herring Top 100 Awards, which have provided recognition and prestige to the most innovative and promising startups in the technology sector since 1996. The Red Herring Top 100 Awards, which have helped transform companies like Alibaba, Facebook, Google, SalesForce.com, Skype, SuperCell, Spotify, Twitter, and YouTube stand out and differentiate themselves in the industry, are considered a turning point for entrepreneurs. Companies that win the Red Herring Top 100 Awards accelerate their investment process and increase their market share.
Press coverage
I’d like to share with you the press coverage of us after winning this prestigious award:
http://fintechistanbul.org/2018/05/02/fintech-sirketi-mokaya-prestijli-odul/
https://www.haberler.com/moka-red-herring-top-100-avrupa-odulu-ne-layik-10805429-haberi/
http://www.psmmag.com/haber/moka-red-herring-top-100-avrupa-odulune-layik-goruldu/1299914
http://www.finansgundem.com/ara/moka
https://www.itsektoru.com/moka-red-herring-top-100-avrupa-odulune-layik-goruldu/
https://www.sondakika.com/haber/haber-moka-red-herring-top-100-avrupa-odulu-ne-layik-10805429/
https://www.f5haber.com/teknoloji/moka-buyuk-odulun-sahibi-oldu-haberi-1031223/
The Reason and Meaning of Our Participation
Taking advantage of the growing interest in the FinTech sector, we have designated 2018 as a year of growth for Moka in every sense. Our contacts and processes to accelerate our international expansion, which is among our priority goals, are ongoing. In this context, we submitted our application for the Red Herring Top 100 award, an event that will bring us to the forefront in the international arena and make us a household name. We have been recognized as one of the most innovative technology startups on the Red Herring 2018 Top 100 Europe list, which will bring us global prestige and create opportunities.
Winning this award provides us with significant advantages in our interactions with our international business partners. The award we received from Red Herring, a list of globally recognized and globally active companies in their early stages, demonstrates that our technology, business model, team, market position, and other dynamics are at world standards.
Our greatest success at Moka and what lies ahead:
In a country like Türkiye, where personal skills are the determining factor in everything you do, establishing a corporate structure is nearly impossible. We succeeded in establishing this structure at Moka and established a strong institutional presence. Our general manager, Selim Bey, was instrumental in building a team of knowledgeable, success-oriented young people, and his management style. Of course, the harmony between him and my partners, Seyfi Erol and Levent İlhaner, and our unwavering commitment to consensus on every issue were also key factors.
The entire Moka team in 2018
I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank my partners, general manager, and team, who have successfully brought our adventure, which began in 2014, to this point despite all the cyclical challenges.
We will continue to take the necessary steps to maintain our growth momentum in Türkiye and achieve our goals of expanding into international markets.
Tag: business world
