Daily Sabah (Turkey)

Wholesale startup Topi secures initial investment at $2.5M valuation

The next-generation wholesale shopping initiative, Topi, has received investment from angel investor Ahmet Bilgen, as it aims to increase the competitiv­eness and sales power of traditiona­l retail

- Timur Sırt ON LIFE

realm of wholesale trade, options are expanding thanks to technology entreprene­urs. Topi, an innovative venture in the digital wholesale shopping sector, achieved significan­t success in its pre-seed financing round.

Founded by well-known names in the e-commerce sector such as Sedat Yıldırım and Köksal Yılmaz, the startup secured its first investment with a valuation of $2.5 million from investor Ahmet Bilgen, a prominent figure in entreprene­urship and fintech. Topi aims to utilize the funding to prepare for seed round by implementi­ng rapid growth strategies.

Pioneering digitaliza­tion in the wholesale shopping market, Topi Technology Inc. aims to enhance the competitiv­e edge and sales prowess of traditiona­l retail through its developed platform.

A venture establishe­d in 2022, Topi optimizes order and product flow between

wholesaler­s and traditiona­l retail outlets.

Co-founders Yıldırım and Yılmaz initiated the venture in 2022, leveraging their experience in e-commerce and technology to improve inefficien­t business processes between wholesaler­s and retailers in the retail sector.

Notably, Topi emerges as the first venture following Yıldırım’s departure from Istegelsin, an online supermarke­t service, as its founding CEO.

GROWTH FINANCING

Topi plans to utilize the funds from its preseed investment to finance its growth during the pre-seed to seed investment phase. Providing access to quality products with flexible payment options for both business owners and users, the startup ensures swift access to a wide range of products, reaching up to 5,000 varieties, at the best prices and enabling monitoring of current wholesale market prices.

With its logistics network handling all deliveries, Topi utilizes its developed distributi­on optimizati­on software to deliver products from 40 different wholesaler­s to retail points.

SERVING ACROSS 81 PROVINCES

Traditiona­l retail outlets shopping from Topi can make payments via credit card, bank transfer, Fibabanka’s 30-day interestfr­ee credit or Multinet MultiAvant­aj. Currently operationa­l in Ankara, Bolu and Bartın, Topi aims to expand its product range and distributi­on area progressiv­ely to serve across all 81 provinces.

The traditiona­l retail market, exceeding $20 billion annually and constituti­ng 65% of Türkiye’s fast-moving consumer goods market, sustains the livelihood­s of hundreds of thousands of families. Business owners digitizing through Topi’s advantageo­us pricing, secure deliveries and flexible payment options gain strength in competitio­n against chain stores.

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 ?? ?? Sedat Yıldırım (L) and Köksal Yılmaz (C), co-founders of Topi Technology, and investor Ahmet Bilgen.
Sedat Yıldırım (L) and Köksal Yılmaz (C), co-founders of Topi Technology, and investor Ahmet Bilgen.

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