Samplico secures $1.8M in funding to advance global expansion

Samplico, (better known as Denebunu in Turkey, its parent company) has secured $1.8 million to help brands tap the power of user-generated content (UGC) and uncover consumer insights. The investment will also be used to support the newly launched SaaS market research platform Sorbunu in the UK market. 

Founded in 2016 by Duygu Özgün and Barış Yeşilçiçek, according to the company, Samplico now reaches nearly 4 million consumers and, through more than 500 million data points, enables its partnership with over 1,000 brands to access hard-to-reach target audiences using advanced segmentation techniques and benefit from UGC created by real consumers. 

Samplico Co-Founder and CEO Duygu Özgün, highlighting the success achieved in Turkey with their unique technological solutions and data-driven perspectives, stated that with the latest funding round, they aim to expand their success internationally. Regarding the goals of the investment round, Özgün mentioned:

"We plan to use the investment from this round for the growth of Samplico, and our SaaS market research platform, Sorbunu, launched last year, both in the Turkish and UK markets. Our goal is to become the go-to platform for 'User-Generated Content' (UGC), quickly bringing together companies of all sizes with hard-to-reach target audiences, and conveying the consumer's voice as effectively as possible, regardless of the company's size."

Through the collected investment, the aim is to expand Samplico, which forms the global hub in the UK for the services offered by Samplico in Turkey, and to support and facilitate the global launch of the new generation hyper-fast market research platform Sorbunu, introduced in Turkey in March 2023.

We Stand by Denebunu on Its Journey to the Global Market

Uğur Mutluhan Oruncak, a member of the Investment Committee at Eksim Ventures, which led the investment round, stated:

"At Eksim Ventures, we operate with the vision of supporting companies that are enthusiastic about the use of and development in technology in their products or processes. Samplico, a pioneering platform where consumers discover new products, experience them before purchase, and share these experiences with stakeholders, has become one of the ventures that align with our vision and investment thesis. With this investment made alongside our valued participants in the investment round, we will contribute to achieving this esteemed brand's goal of entering the global markets." 

Samplico's Expertise Reflected in Investment Stake

Sanem Tatlıdil Özal, one of the managing partners at Arya VC, explained their motivation for investing as follows:

"The main reason for our investment in Samplico was the founding team's deep industry experience, technical proficiency, and their combined core strengths in commercialization and entering global markets. As a team, we believe they have laid the foundations for sustainable success by introducing innovative solutions to the market's fundamental needs and offering products and services that can quickly adapt to changing market conditions. Additionally, their ability to maintain financial stability and achieve growth targets despite ongoing challenging economic periods has allowed us to base our investment on solid foundations." 

The Global Rise of a Proven and Profitable Business Model from Turkey

Mustafa Keçeli, the manager of APY Ventures, stated:

"We are quite pleased with the development Samplico has shown since our initial investment in 2020. The establishment of brand awareness in Turkey, being operationally profitable, completing the setup in the UK, and launching the SaaS product Sorbunu validate the success of the company and its founding partners, Duygu and Barış. We are very pleased to be a part of the success story that Samplico, which will now focus more on its global operations with this investment."

Sustainable and Proven Data-Driven Business Model

Selami Düz, Coordinator at Maxis Innovative Venture Capital Investment Fund, commented on the investment:

"With its sustainable and proven business model centered around data, I believe that Samplico will significantly advance its international expansion efforts, supported by the trust and investments from prominent names in the venture capital sector. I wish continued success to the Samplico family."