Özyeğin University Alumni Startup Shim Wins International Competition in Milan

Shim, a technology startup developed by Özyeğin University alumni and students, claimed first place at the Go Beyond Lab 2026 Demo Day in Milan, Italy. Selected as the winner from five finalist teams following an eight-week international accelerator program, the startup was chosen to receive investment support.

The Shim team is made up of Computer Science alumni Can Çağatay Sevgican, Mertcan Sağlam, and Turgay Bulut (Turgay Bulut (Artificial Intelligence Master’s Student); senior Industrial Engineering student Öykü Ulusay; and senior Communication Design student Ayşenur Karakuş. The startup is developing technology to safeguard personal data in AI applications, with a particular focus on protecting sensitive information shared with AI providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The team is building a security layer designed to help businesses protect confidential information while using AI tools, supporting their efforts to comply with regulations including Türkiye’s Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the EU AI Act.