Between Research and Entrepreneurship

Yelda, you studied Chemical Biology and later worked in startups, the VC environment, and large companies. What motivated you early on to think beyond the traditional academic path and engage with entrepreneurship?

I come from a working-class family. The idea of self-employment was always present for us. At the same time, I was fascinated by the exploratory side of the natural sciences: the idea that research could have direct impact or real market potential.

But the reality of the scientific system looked different. Instead of research-to-market translation, the focus was often more on “publish or perish” – surviving from one grant to the next. During my master’s thesis, I already realised that something else gave me more joy: thinking about research in an application-oriented way, communicating it clearly and packaging it creatively.

Two professors at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) had a particularly strong influence on me: Professor Bräse and Professor Levkin, both founders of spin-offs themselves. I then took my first practical step through an internship at INAM in Berlin, where I initiated the Lab-to-Market programme. At that time, this was still quite a new concept in Germany. Today, almost every federal state has similar programmes for deep-tech startups.

Your research was application-oriented from the beginning. When did you decide that you wanted to found a company yourself?

It was not a single moment, but rather a process. My research during my studies already took place at the interface with spin-offs, and on top of that there were various hackathons I participated in, mainly in health tech.

Later, I had the opportunity to work in strategic roles at industrial corporations such as Merck, Siemens and Air Liquide, to work as a startup operator, and at the same time to get to know the investor perspective. I was also always very active in building connections within the deep-tech ecosystem. No matter where I travelled, whether Lisbon, Zurich, London, or New York, I tried to attend relevant startup events. I also never lost my connection to KIT’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, whether as an industry expert or now as an EXIST Women mentor. Founding a company was always in the back of my mind. What was missing was the right passion project, and now I have found it.

You have worked in startups as well as in the VC environment and in large companies. How have these different perspectives shaped the way you think about founding a company?

Each stage taught me something different. As a startup employee, I experienced firsthand how crucial strong team leadership, the right talent and clear communication are. That is also where I gained the courage to take the leap myself.

In the VC world, I learned how to read between the lines, how to find the right partner and how not to take rejection personally. In corporations, I came to understand how decision-making processes and organisational structures work in large companies. That knowledge is incredibly valuable when it comes to building partnerships in a startup context.

Critical Metals, Global Dependencies and Personal Motivation

You are currently working on a startup focused on recovering critical metals. What sparked your interest in this topic and why is it especially relevant right now?

I have been following the mining tech space for about three years. What initially sparked my interest was the world of biomining startups. What fascinated me from the beginning was this: biology naturally has the ability to bind metals. Making these intrinsic mechanisms usable for industry goes far beyond the sustainability aspect for me, unlike in many other areas of the industrial bioeconomy, where that is often the only selling point.

I really immersed myself in the topic during my time at Air Liquide. There, I had the opportunity to move to the United States and focus specifically on the decarbonisation of the mining sector. Through that role, I got to know the metals industry from the inside and built an international network in places such as Brazil, Australia, and Chile. In particular, the topic of metal refining and the import dependencies associated with critical metals has stayed with me ever since.

And then there is also a very personal dimension. My parents come from Erzincan, a gold-mining region in Türkiye. In 2024, a fatal mine accident happened there, and nine people were never found. To me, this is a reminder that behind this issue there are not only raw material supply chains and import dependencies, but also people and communities that are directly affected. That social and ecological responsibility is just as much a part of my motivation as the technological fascination.

Your approach combines biotechnology and metallurgy. What excites you most about this intersection?

It is exactly this combination that I find so exciting: using biology and chemistry in a targeted way for the recovery of critical metals. Over the course of evolution, biology has developed highly specific mechanisms for dealing with metals. Using these capabilities for industrial processes feels like applied nature to me.

Why Deep Tech Requires Different Conditions

You said: “Deep tech is not software.” What do you see as the biggest challenges in building a deep-tech startup?

The biggest challenge is timing: finding the balance between technology development and commercialisation. You need partners with patience, whether investors or potential customers. Scaling works very differently here than it does in software.

On top of that, deep tech is capital-intensive. You need the right financing instruments, and in many cases a smart mix of public funding and private capital is essential.

For your startup, you returned to the university in order to access labs and infrastructure. What was that experience like and where do you see structural barriers for other founders?

With Professor Kuchta at TUHH, we found an incredibly open and supportive partner. I could not have imagined that at some other universities.

There are now several initiatives in Germany that give founders outside universities access to labs, for example the Materials Lab Incubator, TUM Venture Labs or INKULAB. But there are still not enough of them. Access to infrastructure is a critical issue. No startup starting from scratch has the resources to simply set up its own lab. That is a structural barrier that should not be underestimated.

Networks as Anchor Points

You emphasised the importance of exchange and networks. What role do the startup ecosystem and the exchange with other founders play for you at the moment?

It is about learning from the experiences of others. But it is also emotional support and that is at least just as important. No one understands you as well as someone who deals with the same hurdles and questions in everyday life. Founding can be very lonely, and that kind of peer-level exchange helps enormously.

What does the YES Alumni Community mean to you personally and what value do you see in networks like this?

My first point of contact with YES was during my studies at KIT: an inconspicuous poster in a corner. A lot has changed since then. What the Alumni Community gives me today is hope that more and more scientists will consider a career outside academia and industry.

The exchange with like-minded people gives you courage and the feeling of being part of something. For me, networks like these are real anchor points.

What Comes Next

What are your next steps and what advice would you give to other scientists who are thinking about founding a company?

Put simply: we are moving forward on several tracks. We are continuing to develop the technology, refining the market strategy and expanding the network.

My advice to others is: be proactive and approach people. Finally, everyone is excited about deep-tech startups and the willingness to support them is greater than ever. There are now programmes, hubs and experienced founders everywhere whom you can reach out to. People can also contact me. I always say: my LinkedIn network is like a Turkish wedding – everyone is invited.

What happens next?

Check out our event calendar for upcoming workshops. Stay tuned for more updates, opportunities, and success stories! Connect with Yelda via LinkedIn.

Interviewer & Editor, Design: Laura Walther