Umut Vural — Awards & Recognition
TR/EN10 awards and recognitions between 2010 and 2026, plus one jury role. Each award's images sit under its own heading; click to enlarge.
People's Choice · #2 Worldwide
May 2026Global Startup Awards · Global Final, 11th editionGAG Token was a global finalist and came 2nd in the worldwide public vote.
Best Fintech Startup · Top 10 Worldwide
May 2026Global Startup Awards · Global Final, 11th editionAmong the top 10 worldwide in the Best Fintech Startup category.
Founder of the Year · Top 16 Worldwide
May 2026Global Startup Awards · Global Final, 11th editionUmut Vural was among the top 16 worldwide in the Founder of the Year category.
Best Fintech Startup
October 2025Global Startup Awards · South Europe (Málaga)Expert jury award; GAG Token – Adgager.
People's Choice
October 2025Global Startup Awards · South Europe (Málaga)Decided by public vote; GAG Token – Adgager.
Silver Taktisyen Baykuş
September 2025Turkish Researchers' Association · 13th Baykuş AwardsThe research project “Kıtalar Arasında Tek Tık: Gönder Gelsin”, run with Aktifbank.
Jury Member
2024Turkish Researchers' Association · 12th Baykuş AwardsSelected as an industry jury member.
STARTUP100 · Türkiye's 100 Most Successful Startups
April 2019TOBB Young Entrepreneurs, Endeavor Türkiye, Özyeğin University, Bizz ConsultingAdgager made the list, decided by the votes of a jury of leading ecosystem figures.
Big Bang Startup Challenge · Investment
2016İTÜ Çekirdek · TR Angels and TelosTL 25,000 from TR Angels and TL 20,000 from Telos; TL 45,000 investment in total.
Incubation Programmes
January–March 2016İTÜ Çekirdek and TÜBİTAK BiGGAdgager was accepted into İTÜ Çekirdek Incubation and TÜBİTAK BiGG İTÜ Çekirdek Incubation.
Teamwork Award
April 2010doremusicSecond place for teamwork in an internal company survey.
You can ask
Why did it win the fintech award?
The Best Fintech Startup award at GSA South Europe 2025 was given by an expert jury for GAG Token – Adgager's Web3 approach.
- The blockchain-based GAG Token makes the research ecosystem transparent and reward-driven.
What does the Taktisyen Baykuş reward?
The Taktisyen Baykuş rewards research projects that measure factors such as price, packaging, product and distribution channel, pin down the problem, use the right method and make a clear contribution to the business partner.
Where are the awards concentrated?
In three areas: research quality, community support and the startup ecosystem.
- Research quality: a Silver award at the industry's own Baykuş Awards, and a jury seat at the same awards a year earlier.
- Community support: two separate public-vote rankings (People's Choice 2025, #2 worldwide in 2026), showing the community-based model resonates.
- Startup ecosystem: STARTUP100, İTÜ Çekirdek and TÜBİTAK BiGG programmes, the Best Fintech and Founder of the Year rankings.
Answers are based only on Umut Vural's CV, LinkedIn profile and his own statements. Nothing outside the sources is made up.