Pioneers of Digital Finance is an award program organized by KPMG Turkey and the Financial Innovation and Technology Association (FINTR) and aims to promote innovative applications in the financial sector. This prestigious program, which has been held since 2023, aims to accelerate sectoral development by bringing together the pioneers of the financial technology ecosystem.
As part of the competition, institutions that shape the future of the financial world are evaluated by expert jury members. The winners take the stage during Istanbul Fintech Week, organized by FINTR every year, and receive their awards.
We encourage all institutions that contribute to the transformation of digital finance and make a difference in the sector to apply for this award program.
Pioneers of Digital Finance
Banks and fintech startups that develop innovative projects in the field of financial technologies.
Applications are made between January and March each year.
Awards are given in seven categories: Leading Bank, Visionary Bank, Most Collaborative Bank, Global Leading Fintech, Rising Fintech, Innovative Fintech and Financial Inclusion.
Applications are evaluated by the jury members between March and April.
The award ceremony is held within the scope of Istanbul Fintech Week, Turkey's first and largest global financial technology event. For detailed information about Istanbul Fintech Week, you can visit the event page.
At First Glance:
Pioneers of Digital Finance
Pioneers of Digital Finance is an annual award program organized by KPMG Turkey and the Financial Innovation and Technology Association (FINTR). It aims to support Turkey's fintech ecosystem and strengthen its role in the region and the world in terms of finance and technology.
The first award ceremony was held on April 14, 2023 during "Istanbul Fintech Week," Turkey's first and largest global financial technology event, supported by FINTR and sponsored by KPMG. The Presidency Finance Office also attended the ceremony, where 7 pioneering banks and fintechs in financial innovation received awards.
The second award ceremony, which received significant attention from the sector, was held with high attendance on April 16, 2024 during Istanbul Fintech Week.
Our Award Categories and Winners
Pioneers of Digital Finance 2023
Pioneer Banks
Pioneer Fintechs
Pioneers of Digital Finance 2024
Pioneer Banks
Pioneer Fintechs
Our Jury Members
The jury members of Pioneers of Digital Finance consist of experts who evaluate banks and fintechs from the perspectives of consultants, academics, investors, and sectoral non-governmental organizations.
Our core jury roster is as follows, while other jury members change annually.
Sinem Cantürk
Fintech and Digital
Finance Leader, Partner
KPMG Turkey
Demet Zübeyiroğlu
Chair of the Board
FINTR
Prof. Dr. Ceylan Onay
University of Brighton
Faculty of Business and Law
Faculty Member
Adem Duman
Founder of CCW Technology
Investments Inc. and Bosfor Angels
Important Information About Pioneers of Digital Finance
Fintech and digital finance is a rapidly evolving sector. Being aware of this dynamic structure, we regularly update all metrics in our award program in parallel with developments in the sector. Transparency and compliance are our priorities in our processes, so we move forward by taking the needs of the ecosystem into account at every step.
Number of Participants
Since the inception of the Pioneers of Digital Finance award program, there have been more than 100 applications. These applications cover banks and fintechs that stand out in their fields.
Renewed Concept
In the 2024 survey, responses from participants were compiled into an academic study. This study will be shared as a report evaluating the Turkish fintech ecosystem in the first quarter of 2025.
Survey Questions
The survey questions are updated each year in parallel with sectoral dynamics.
Award Categories
We started our award program with 7 categories. However, in our second year, considering the increasing number of applications, we increased the number of categories to 10.
Jury Members
Just like our survey questions, our jury members are also updated annually. We aim to further expand our jury team in 2025.
Detailed Information and Contact
You can contact us for any questions and feedback regarding the program.
[email protected]For 2025, our surveys will be announced via KPMG Turkey LinkedIn account and mailing. For more detailed information, you can visit our web page .
