Insights from Getmobil’s Co-Founder on Scaling Traditional Markets through Technology w/ Mehmet Uygun
Mehmet Uygun shares the story behind Getmobil’s growth, the key decisions that shaped the company’s direction, and how the team built a technology-driven business in a traditional market.
Mehmet’s path began during his Electronic Engineering studies at Koç University, where he launched several early ventures that ultimately failed. Through these setbacks, he learned a defining lesson: instead of simply chasing digital trends, real impact comes from transforming traditional, “analog” markets with technology.
In 2020, he and his brother stepped directly into the field by operating a physical mobile phone shop with zero digital infrastructure. That raw, hands-on experience became the foundation of Getmobil — a journey focused on standardizing, guaranteeing, and securing the massive used electronics ecosystem.
As the company began to scale, Getmobil experienced the growing pains of a startup and made a strategic shift from a capital-intensive (capex-heavy) model to a technology and data-driven platform. Mehmet recalls a pivotal Sunday meeting where the team decided that “the company’s growth must never be blocked by capital” as the ultimate turning point.
Today, Getmobil is far more than a marketplace. It has evolved into a technology infrastructure company partnering with global brands such as Samsung, Apple, and Hepsiburada, providing financing solutions and digital management systems to dealers operating in an $8 billion market.
Challenging common assumptions in fundraising, the team broke the prejudice that “startups with only local revenue can’t attract global capital.” They raised nearly $30 million from top-tier investors, including the World Bank and major American and European funds. Along the way, they executed a rare and successful secondary sale within the Turkish ecosystem, enabling early angel investors to exit with a 4x return in just 2.5 years — effectively simplifying their Cap Table for long-term growth.
Mehmet defines the company culture as a team that “runs toward the fire.” On the night their office literally caught fire, he stood on the sidewalk believing everything was over. Yet waking up the next day with the determination to rebuild from the ashes became a defining moment of resilience for the entire team.
He shares this message with fellow entrepreneurs: “Don’t make moves just because an investor wants it; do it because the market and the customer demand it. Even if others say you’re on the wrong path, if you trust your team and your vision, you will eventually find the right way.”
For Mehmet, success is never about founders alone. “A great team is never too expensive, because the value they create far outweighs the cost. Attribute success not to the founders, but to the entire 180-person team. Your company’s growth should depend on your agility, not your capital. Find your core ‘top 6’ people, and they will build their own worlds. Remember, entrepreneurship isn’t a five-year plan; it’s a race where you prove yourself every three months.”