Arslantepe Spark, an entrepreneurship accelerator based in Malatya, has announced its mentor network. Vircon Legal Managing Partner Erdem Mümtaz Hacıpaşaoğlu is listed on the programme’s mentor page as “Vircon Legal, Technology & Startup Lawyer” (in the original Turkish, “Teknoloji & Girişim Hukukçusu”). The page lists 46 mentors drawn from investors, corporate executives, academics and specialists in other fields (as of 3 November 2026).
Some of the names in the mentor network:
- Aytül Erçil, Partner, Co-CEO and Chair of the Board, Vispera
- Barış Karakullukçu, Chair of the Board, Artificial Intelligence and Technology Association (Yapay Zeka ve Teknoloji Derneği), and founder of AIONIRE
- Emre Güzer, Co-founder and General Manager, Lidio (Çıtayı Yükseltenler episode 35, in Turkish)
- İnalcan Güleç, Senior Venture Capital Investor, Eksim Ventures (Çıtayı Yükseltenler episode 79, in Turkish)
- Selma Bahçıvanoğlu, Managing Partner, Simya VC (Çıtayı Yükseltenler episode 28, in Turkish)
- Tansel Kaya, General Manager, The Mindstone Blockchain Labs
- Timur Sırt, entrepreneurship consultant, data mining specialist, startup and technology journalist and speaker
What is Arslantepe Spark?
Arslantepe Spark is a 12-week accelerator designed to find, train and connect Anatolia’s new generation of founders with capital. It takes its name from the Arslantepe Mound, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021. The programme is open to founders across Anatolia, aims to give them access to Istanbul’s investor, mentor and corporate network without having to relocate, and runs entirely in Turkish. The programme website lists İnönü University, TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Malatya Teknokent among its supporting institutions.
Who can apply?
- Startup track: university students or recent graduates with technology and innovation projects at the idea or prototype stage.
- Scale-up track: technology-focused startups with a working prototype or minimum viable product (MVP).
Timeline
- October and November 2026: applications
- December 2026: the selected startups begin the programme at the Arslantepe Spark centre in Malatya
- March 2027: Demo Day, open to investors, angel investors and corporate partners
Law in the curriculum
The 12-week curriculum covers entrepreneurship and business models, customer validation, product and technology, marketing and sales, finance and investment, pitching, corporate collaboration, law and ethics, leadership, sustainability, growth and going global. The law and ethics module covers incorporation, intellectual property and a founder’s basic legal responsibilities. The programme’s investment-readiness goal also includes the pitch, the document archive shared with investors, the term sheet and corporate governance: the topics where an early-stage startup first meets the law in earnest.
Resources for early-stage founders
Free resources for teams applying to or joining the programme: the Founder Academy with checklists and calculators, our anatomy of a Turkish shareholders’ agreement and our guide to SAFE financing in Türkiye. For the path from incorporation to the first round, see our startup law page.
Mentoring track record
Hacıpaşaoğlu has also served as a Startup Mentor in the Yenibirlider Association’s LEAD21 Fellowship Program: in the 2021, 2022 and 2026 cohorts.
Source: Arslantepe Spark mentor page and programme website (accessed 3 November 2026).
