Name: Mert Kalkavan
Title: CEO
Company: Doping Technology
Website: www.dopingtech.net
Founded: 2011
Headquarters: Istanbul, Esenler
Description: Leading market player in Turkey’s growing online educational space.
Transforming Education: Mert Kalkavan’s Vision for Doping Tech’s Global Impact
Mert Kalkavan, CEO Doping Technology is a man who dons multiple hats. As an ex-strategy consultant with hands-on startup and scaleup experience, Mert shares his mission to drive meaningful impact through technology in the education sector. As the visionary behind Doping Tech, Mert is committed to radically transforming educational outcomes by making personalized, affordable, and accessible learning experiences a reality. Doping Tech’s innovative products, such as Doping Hafıza, Turkey’s leading digital platform for K-12 and exam preparation, and Dopiverse, a gamified global learning app for children, are redefining how students engage with education across the world. In this interview, Mert speaks on an array of topics. Excerpts:
Founding of Doping- The Story Behind
Turkey’s large population, educational inequalities, and high-stakes exams create a strong demand for ed-tech innovation, says Mert. Doping Hafıza, launched in 2011 by Doping Tech, was created to address these challenges by making quality education more accessible through technology. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Doping Hafıza is Turkey’s leading digital learning platform, serving hundreds of thousands of students nationwide with a team of over 200, all at just 10% of the cost of traditional educational services.
Rapid growth of the education industry – Challenges Galore
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of ed-tech, boosting investments in the sector, but many products that failed to meet user expectations saw significant losses in user base and valuation post-pandemic, notes Mert. Now, ed-tech solutions face the challenge of competing on equal footing with traditional alternatives, with few barriers remaining. For ed-tech to succeed, it must provide solutions that offer clear, meaningful advantages over traditional methods. Doping Tech has risen to this challenge, maintaining strong market penetration in Turkey even beyond the pandemic years.
Key features of Doping’s comprehensive platform
Doping Hafıza is a personalized education and test preparation app designed to support K12 students in Turkey. Offering a 360° learning experience, it combines asynchronous and synchronous services like live tutoring, coaching, and doubt solving. Key features include goal setting, a smart study planner, AI-powered progress tracking, interactive learning content, a large question base with mock exams, student communities, gamification elements, and personalized one-on-one tutoring and coaching. The platform is continually evolving, ensuring that students receive an effective, engaging, and tailored learning experience.
Adaptability: A Key Trait in the Ed-Tech Industry
In the ever-evolving ed-tech landscape, adaptability is crucial, both personally and organizationally. With advancements in technology, AI, and shifting learner expectations, the industry is dynamic and constantly changing, observes Mert. “To succeed, organizations must continuously monitor insights and adjust their vision and priorities. This requires a resilient team with the right capabilities to navigate the changing environment effectively.”
Believing deeply in the transformative power of education, the leader of Doping Tech has always been driven by a mission to provide access to high-quality education. Having benefited from state and company-funded education, they are committed to creating value that extends beyond just commercial gain, demonstrating a genuine passion for improving lives through education.
Overcoming the Fear of Failure:
Leaders can overcome the fear of failure by reframing it as an opportunity for growth. Embracing failure as a pivot point in one’s journey, rather than an endpoint, is key, according to Mert. “The leader shares their personal story of a non-linear career path, beginning as a civil engineer, moving through various startup ventures, and eventually becoming a management consultant before taking the helm of a leading ed-tech scale-up in Turkey.” This experience illustrates that success often involves unexpected twists and learning from each step along the way.
“I would advise to solve real and meaningfully large problems, and not try to find problems to solve for a hypothesized solution. I believe this is an increasingly common pitfall, especially with some of the AI-powered products out there today. Once you have a good understanding of the real problem, it doesn’t matter if your first shot at solving it doesn’t work – you can always find other ways.”
Forging Ahead: Doping Technology
In recent years, Doping Tech has launched innovative educational apps, including Dopiverse and Dopi AI, with plans to further develop and expand them. Dopiverse is a mobile app that offers a 3D open universe where children worldwide can interact in a safe environment, engaging in gamified activities that promote STEM learning. Dopi.AI, an AI-powered math assistant, helps students improve their math skills through its Snap & Solve feature, allowing users to take photos of math problems and receive instant, step-by-step solutions, along with personalized feedback and adaptive learning paths to enhance engagement and accessibility.
Social Responsibility and Ecosystem Support
Doping Tech is deeply committed to giving back through various impactful initiatives. The “Doping Tech Truck,” a mobile tech museum, travelled across underserved regions of Turkey, bringing technology and educational resources to those in need. Additionally, the “ÖğretmenPlus” project provides a free library of AI tools to support teachers throughout Turkey. Beyond these efforts, Doping Tech plays an active role in strengthening the Ed-tech ecosystem by investing in startups and partnering with venture capital firms focused on driving innovation in the education sector, says Mert.
