Getir: Fast delivery startup that innovates instead of copying
The Turkish rapid delivery startup Getir has achieved better results in its first weeks in London than when it opened in Istanbul, chief executive Salur says, stressing they have ‘become a team that owns and develops the idea, rather than copying it’
HAVING raised $128 million (TL 952 million) from investors in January, the Turkish startup Getir has stepped into its global journey as it launched its rapid delivery service for grocery and corner shop items in London four weeks ago.
Getir chief executive Nazım Salur says the company managed to achieve better results than in their first four weeks in Istanbul.
“We are now more experienced in data. There is a team with five years of experience,” Salur told a Ventures60 event. “Moreover, we are a company that develops the idea, not copies it. Often, we witnessed startups in Turkey struggling to bring successful idea abroad to life. Now, we strive to bring our idea to life in the world,” he said.
Founded in 2015, Getir has a big audience in Turkey as it delivers more than 1,500 varieties of groceries to millions of people in an average of 10 minutes.
“We had to wait five years to open up. We had dreamed of doing it earlier. However, the conditions led us to do it five years later,” Salur noted.
APPLICATION, NOT IDEA
Salur compared entrepreneurship to a long safari trip.
“Not everyone can enjoy such a journey. You step into an unfamiliar world full of unknowns,” he continued. “Now everyone sees it as a great job. However, it is not easy to find resources while growing the business in Turkey. When it was successful, everyone says ‘I thought about it too.’”
No matter how brilliant the idea is, he stressed that the team that brings it to life plays an important role.
“Now many companies are making the claim that they can deliver in 10 minutes, but we have a significant experience in data. We also have many brilliant ideas in mind, but now we have to focus on Getir,” he noted.
ENHANCING COMPETITION
Pointing out the positive aspect of the competition, Salur says it is not pulling everyone up instead of wearing us down.
Salur stated that with increasing competition, they hope to develop further before embarking on a global journey.
“Wearing out the rival in Turkey is more prominent. I think competition has an important contribution. I care about the aspect that makes you stronger,” he further stressed.
Salur underlined that when doing global technology work, there is a need for human resources with very different competencies.