Turkish Airlines courts passengers to invest in start-ups

A Turkish Airlines passenger uses the in-flight entertainment system. Photo courtesy: Turkish Airlines

It can be hard for entrepreneurs to find investors to listen to a start-up idea and offer funding.

But from this month, fledgling ventures can pitch their ideas directly to passengers – and potential investors – flying with Turkish Airlines.

Called Invest on Board, the initiative has been rolled out to all of the airline’s planes equipped with its Planet in-flight entertainment system with travellers able to choose from a selection of start-up ideas on the screen in front of them.

“The idea behind this innovative and new programme is to bring start-ups and investors together for a joint project,” says Murat Bas, the vice president for marketing and sales at Turkish Airlines in Middle East and Cyprus. “A perfect opportunity for start-ups to grow their business and for investors to find another business opportunity.”

The programme will be available in both business and economy classes. “You never know where the next big investor might sit,” Mr Bas adds.

The airline is running the programme in association with the Istanbul-based seed fund eTohum, which will collect and select the applications for the on-board pitch.

At the moment, the in-flight entertainment system features the video pitches of 11 entrepreneurs. Some are in English, others in Turkish with English subtitles.

The airline says the videos will be renewed every month with new start-up ideas.

One of the first 11 ideas, also featured on investonboard.com, is from Istanbul-based Clover Game Studio, which aims to break even next year.

Started by three computer engineers, the company’s first project is a maze game: Reveal the Maze, which claims to “make users live a real and entertaining maze experience”, says Yigit Turkeri, a co-founder of Clover Game Studio. The game, he says, has been downloaded 2.5 million times, half of which came from the United States. It also counts Spain, Brazil, Canada and France among its markets.

Another pitch is from the social networking site Zumbara, where members can help others for an hour and receive a service from the community in exchange for the hour earned.