Startup Spotlight: Evreka
By: The Startup Grind Team
Tags: Startup Lessons, Startup Spotlight, Startup, Technology, Startup Life

Startup Spotlight: Evreka

Reshaping the Waste Management Business with End-to-End Solutions

Evreka is aiming to reshape the waste management business by delivering the most intelligent and modular solutions. Evreka enables cross-border waste management companies, local authorities, and municipalities to be more sustainable, smarter, greener, and digital. Evreka is recognized as the winner of the 2019 Sustainability Innovation Award for its intelligent waste management solutions presented by Oracle.

Umutcan Duman, co-founder and CEO of Evreka, discovered his passion for entrepreneurship during his university years. Afterward, he closed two unsuccessful attempts, which ended with many learnings, and focused on solving the world waste problem with Evreka. Since Evreka’s foundation, he has been working with EvrekaCrew for five years and they have been actively operating in 40 countries. With the contribution of his achievements with Evreka, Umutcan has been chosen for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and Fortune 40 Under 40 list as one of the most successful young people in Turkey.

— In a single sentence, what does Evreka do?

Evreka provides the most comprehensive intelligent ERP solution designed and focused on the entire category of waste management by delivering end-to-end modular solutions and cutting-edge products, as well as guaranteeing operational excellence across the globe.

— What sets Evreka apart in the market?

With comprehensiveness at its core, Evreka creates a platform that can cross-integrate with all sorts of third-party applications, hardware, and software. Competing in the same position as its competitors in 2016, Evreka developed the foundational modular platform by 2019. It combined with the technologies of its old competitors, trucks related devices, and world leaders in the ERP and CRM sectors like Oracle. This comprehensive and enabler structure let Evreka stand out from its competitors. Evreka shifted from being a competitor into the most agile and comprehensive waste management solution leading its peers.

— How did Evreka come to be? What was the problem you found and the ‘aha’ moment?

We realized the insufficiency in waste collection processes — the lack of optimization and solutions that are far from sustainability in early 2015 — and we adhered to solving them and offering more efficient methods. We worked for it night after night and created the EvrekaCrew.

In time, we started to serve clients across the world. The deeper we went, the more we realized the similarities between waste operations around the world. They were being managed almost the same and they all needed the same change: Digitization and traceability. With this gained new knowledge, we started to offer our solutions to city cleaners to improve their operations and increase their efficiency.



And today, with the vision of “always better,” we are proud to offer the industry’s most comprehensive, intelligent, and modular waste management software to more than 40 countries.

— Have you pursued funding and if so, what steps did you take?

Like every startup, we fundraised to accelerate our growth globally. We have achieved great success with a small investment of about 2m dollars, and we continue to do so. Our pioneering role in the sector encourages us to be always better. That is why we are still open to new smart investors to solve the problem we aim at more deeply with more comprehensive technologies.

— What milestone are you most proud of so far?

We signed a success story with EvrekaCrew, a fantastic team. Since our establishment, we have been waking up to every new day with great enthusiasm, trying to implement our mission in every aspect of our business, and offering the industry’s most comprehensive solution for waste management. While doing all these, of course, we pass some milestones. Since Evreka has existed, we have witnessed precious moments together, and I would like to share the most exciting of them with you.

The first moment we hit the field! The day we carry out our first tests in the field with our first user is precious. This was a moment of pride in which we can see the result of our work for the first time.

Our first shot to the global market, our first overseas experience, our first foreign users, and partners! This turning point means a lot to us because we have added tremendous speed to our growth from now on.

The first enterprise client, which is one of the milestones that level us up. This is the most precise and concrete proof that we are a proven company and a proven solution. We are now a company that has trustable references in our users’ eyes and can adapt its services to everyone and every situation regardless of business type and size.

— What KPIs are you tracking that you think will lead to revenue generation/growth?

We are aware of the importance of standard KPIs that drive sales processes, and of course, we use them. We manage our pipeline with excellent planning. While we are creating new leads, we are trying to advance these leads’ processes on the pipeline successfully. Since our product and solution are unique, we have achieved a rapid transition to the purchasing process for all potential users who have tried the product. We are working to make this purchasing process more successful day by day and maximize our growth.

— How do you build and develop talent?

It is the most critical responsibility of the founder CEO. We call our team EvrekaCrew, and it is the most important thing that we care about most in our business.

We have a team mainly focused on solving inefficiency and old-school techniques encountered in waste management in the world. We continuously work together to improve this area and improve it to the moon and back.

On the other hand, we have determined our vision and values altogether, and have been trying to spread this to our new team members. We are very attached to each other and our culture. Who wouldn’t want to work in a job that has a tremendous contribution to the world?

— What are the biggest challenges for the team?

Unfortunately, in 2017 during the early stages, we lost our close friend and co-founder Berkay. This situation deeply affected all founders, shareholders, and the Crew. But as a team, we overcame this by engaging each other more tightly and carrying Berkay’s dream on our shoulders. Now, we have him in our hearts and his vision in our minds. Every single day, we ask ourselves what Berkay would do if he were here and we are doing our best to make him proud.

— What’s been the biggest success for the team?

There is no such thing as the biggest success because each success has its own enjoyment and separate teaching. That’s why we like to celebrate each success separately and focus on the drivers behind it. As EvrekaCrew, we have placed hard work, learning from the best practitioners, and celebrating success all together in our corporate culture.

— What’s something that’s always on your mind?

The only thing I always have in mind is how we can get better. That’s why our motto is “always better.” Personally, this motto truly embraces each member of EvrekaCrew and me, and we live every moment of our daily life in the light of this frame of mind. We strive to do not only when doing business but also in our personal lives.

— What advice would you give to other founders?

As founders, we have no luxury to complain. We have to handle every problem we face with care and find the best solution for everyone.

— Have you been or are you part of a corporate startup program or accelerator? If so, which ones and what have been the benefits?

Oracle’s global startup program supports Evreka. Since the first day we were selected for the program, we have been using Oracle’s Cloud infrastructure and have been fed with a wide range of support, such as various mentoring and marketing services. We are also in Oracle’s global catalog.

Being involved in a highly applicable, supportive, and agile program, and having the opportunity to work with Oracle is one thing that accelerates Evreka’s growth. Although we have received acceptance from several international programs, our preference has been to grow with Oracle and make the most of Oracle’s vast knowledge. With its proven success globally, Oracle is one of the proudest of our name being mentioned together.

— Who is your cloud provider?

We work with Oracle not only for the Cloud system but also for other services that they provide. We are a part of Oracle for Startups, and we offer the most comprehensive solution in the industry for a more sustainable and smart future with Oracle solutions.