About
Turkey's National Health Technologies-TRUSTLIFE” was established to bring together innovative treatment targets and drug candidates, determined by the research carried out by academicians, R&D institutions, and Start-Ups in our country, with the investor and to implement them. TRUSTLIFE is Turkey's first and only health technologies platform and is a Venture Capital Investment Fund (GSYF) approved by the Capital Markets Board (CMB). It has the necessary organization to support these projects in a way that covers all financial, managerial, and technical sub-items.
A financing process of up to a total of 180 million TL has started for the projects selected by our scientific committees, which are suitable for the foundation purpose of the fund.
The management team, which comes together from different specialties, is interested in health technologies and has more than 100 years of experience in total, and works to ensure the success of supported health technology projects.
OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
DR. BÜLENT DENKDEMİR
Chief Executive Chairman
Dr. Bülent Denkdemir completed his PhD in Business Administration and Management at Istanbul University, an MBA from Sabancı University, and a bachelor's degree from Istanbul Technical University. Between 2014 and 2021, he served as the CEO of BMC Automotive. The company has 3,700 employees and exports to 17 countries. He served as the CEO of Alliance Healthcare Turkey between 2005-2013. In the relevant period, the number of employees in Turkey, Egypt, and Algeria in total was 13.000 and the annual turnover was 7 billion USD. Between 2010 and 2013, he served as a Member of the Executive Board of Walgreens Boots Alliance, responsible for the activities of 20 countries in Europe.
MEHMET UĞURLU
Executive Board Member
Mehmet Uğurlu studied Economics at Hacettepe University. Between 2013 and 2021, he served as the CFO of BMC Automotive. This company, which has more than 3,700 employees, carries out export activities to 17 different countries. Between 2008 and 2013, he held senior positions in different investment banks. Between 2000 and 2008, he served as the Vice President of the Istanbul Gold Exchange. He worked as CFO and Director of Bond & Bills at the Istanbul Stock Exchange between 1991 and 1999. Before working at the Istanbul Stock Exchange, Mehmet Uğurlu worked as Internal Audit Manager at Sabancı Holding.
ERKAN MANKAN
Executive Board Member
Erkan Mankan completed his master's degree in Food Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. With over 20 years of experience in biotechnology, healthcare, and laboratory technologies, he has led R&D ecosystems, technology transfer initiatives, and innovative drug development projects. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of TCT Health, an Executive Board Member at Trustlife Ventures, and the Founder of Heka companies. His work focuses on cell and gene therapies, biopharmaceuticals, and strategic industry collaborations, aiming to position Turkey as a key player in global pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Erkan Mankan is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of experience in health, biotechnology, and life sciences. He specializes in the localization and commercialization of new therapies, drug delivery systems, and advanced biotechnology solutions through technology transfers and domestic production infrastructure.
PROF. DR. ADİL MARDİNOĞLU
Executive Board Member
Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu has a PhD in engineering (Computerized Biology) from the Waterford Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering. He also completed his undergraduate education in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. Currently, Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu is a professor of Biology/Medicine at Kings College London and at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology. Between 2019-2020, he served as the President of TUSEB (Turkish Health Institute) affiliated to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey. Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu has many domestic and international scientific publications. Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu is the founder of several biotechnology companies such as ScandiBio Therapeutics, ScandiEdge Therapeutics, BASH Biotech, Human4ever, which carry out Pharmaceutical R&D and Molecule studies in different countries.
PROF. DR. HASAN TÜRKEZ
Executive Board Member
Prof. Dr. Hasan Türkez has a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology from G.D'Annunzio Chieti Pescara University, a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Atatürk University. He is a member of the TÜBİTAK Advisory Board and the head of Atatürk University Medical Biology Department. He is a member of the WHO's (2021-2026) expert committee. He served as the Secretary General of TÜSEB between 2019-2020, a member of JECFA between 2016-2020, a member of JMPR between 2017-2021 and President of the Turkish Biotechnology Institute between 2019-2020. He also served as the chairman of the science commission, commission member, advisory board member and coordinator in various public institutions and organizations. Prof. Dr. Hasan Türkez has many national and international scientific publications.
DR. DUYGU DAĞLIKOCA
Trustlife Labs R&D Director
Dr. Duygu Dağlıkoca holds a master's and doctorate from the Department of Biology and Genetics at Boğaziçi University and a bachelor's degree from the Department of Biology and Genetics at Istanbul Technical University. She completed her PhD in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark, Neurobiology Research. Between 2014 and 2022, she carried out many biotechnological product projects and coordinated domestic and international partnerships at Ilko Pharmaceuticals. In cooperation with Genexine, a South Korean biotechnology R&D company, transferred its biotechnology know-how and an innovative product to Ilko Pharmaceuticals. Throughout her career, she has trained a strong team that has gained competence in all phases of biotechnological product development, with process development in European norms and international preclinical and clinical studies. She carried out the KAMAG-1007 and HAMLE project and many TEYDEB projects.