Who is Taylan Kaymakcı? Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Apart from my university years in Eskişehir, I can say that I have been living in Acıbadem for 40 years. I have also been in professional life for the past 17 years. Since the first day of my career, I have worked in product and marketing teams. In the early stages of my career, I worked at large corporate companies, but later I realised that the dynamics of the technology startup ecosystem, where decisions can be made and implemented quickly, were better aligned with my working principles, so I became part of that ecosystem. After gaining experience at different startups, I founded my own business and provided marketing consultancy to B2B SaaS ventures with my core team for around three and a half years. One of these companies was Craftgate, where I now lead the in-house marketing team. I eventually closed my own business and became a more integral part of Craftgate because I wanted to contribute more closely to its success story.
Could you tell us about Craftgate?
Craftgate is a fintech company at the scaleup stage, with a team of more than 52 people, growing very rapidly while maintaining strong financial health. We can also describe ourselves as a product company founded by four highly experienced engineers who are recognised experts in their field, backed by some of Türkiye’s strongest investors, and supported by specialised team members who are genuinely enjoyable to work with.
Craftgate is a payment orchestration platform that enables businesses accepting online payments to access domestic and international payment methods through a single integration. It also allows them to manage their entire online payment process at the lowest possible cost and with the highest possible profitability.
What types of businesses has Craftgate served so far, and what services have you provided? Could you tell us a little about the value you create?
Craftgate is a platform that can be used by businesses of all sizes that accept online payments or operate in e-commerce. However, the value we create becomes much more meaningful for brands with high online payment volumes, as they can see our value propositions more clearly.
We mainly work with leading companies in sectors such as retail, insurance, tourism, and education. We have a broad list of satisfied merchants, ranging from Boyner and Hepiyi Sigorta to Beymen and S Sport Plus. The fact that new brands are added to this list every month is a strong source of motivation for all of us.
Today, when you visit almost any shopping centre, many of the stores you see across different floors are already our customers.
With more than 20 value-added services, Craftgate provides these brands with financial freedom in their online payment operations. They can receive payments without interruption, minimise payment-related costs, quickly integrate the world’s most widely used payment methods into their systems, and manage all their payments through a single dashboard.
At a time when the diversity of payment methods is increasing so rapidly, we can say that we manage these integrations and orchestrate the entire process while also supporting the growth of our customers.
How does Craftgate differentiate itself from competitors in payment orchestration? What is your unique value proposition?
I can answer this question by referring to a topic that our CEO, Hakan Erdoğan, frequently highlights. Craftgate consists of three core elements: our product, our team, and our support processes. These elements reinforce one another and represent the most important factors that differentiate us from other similar companies.
Given the current level of technology, building or replicating almost any product has become relatively easy. What really matters is having deep expertise in the relevant domain, being able to demonstrate and communicate that expertise to customers, and, when necessary, rolling up your sleeves and quickly solving a critical customer problem. Sometimes this may happen through a strategic meeting, while at other times it may come through a fast response from the support team.
Craftgate is exactly this kind of company. We are now evolving into a global company that has started to be included in highly reputable reports within the payment orchestration field. Hearing executives explain what makes us different in our satisfied merchant videos is one of the strongest demonstrations of the value of the work we have done.
The payment systems sector has undergone a major transformation in recent years due to technological developments. What do you think are the most important factors driving this change?
As payment methods and tools that respond to consumer needs continue to increase, the fintech sector has naturally become one of the fastest-growing industries and one of the sectors attracting the most investment. Businesses that do not want to lose customer retention, want to increase sales, and aim to improve profitability through international operations also have to adapt to this transformation. I would say this is the biggest driver in the sector.
At the same time, mobile wallets, QR code payments, and user-friendly, fast, and low-cost alternative payment methods are among the other key driving factors. Scaling payment infrastructure has also become one of the most important priorities for businesses. This is also one of the main reasons behind Craftgate’s rapid growth.
You work with global companies in international payments. What can you tell us about your international goals?
Craftgate provides significant convenience for brands that want to work with local payment methods preferred by consumers in international markets. Instead of starting an integration process from scratch and going through lengthy technical and documentation procedures, brands only need to complete their financial agreements and activate the relevant payment provider through the Craftgate dashboard.
As Craftgate, we have established our company in Spain and are taking our first global steps by conducting our research and development processes in this market. Our goal is to demonstrate internationally the same value we provide here, acquire new customers, and scale with our business partners just as we have done in Türkiye.
Will we hear news about new investors from Craftgate in the future? How are you planning to use potential new funding?
Craftgate is currently a financially healthy company and does not have an urgent need for investment. However, additional resources may eventually be needed to support the investments we are making in global markets. Before that, we need to see the level of traction we are targeting in Spain. Following this, we may consider strategic investment for global expansion. For now, we can say that we need to assess the situation during the second half of the year.
Which digital marketing channels does a B2B-focused fintech company like Craftgate use effectively to reach its target audience?
B2B marketing is an area I have been involved in for many years and have experienced across different business models and company sizes. We continue to implement the marketing strategy we planned from the very beginning. We invest in both inbound and outbound activities. Our target persona is a very niche and limited audience. It is a group that needs to be reached not only digitally but also through physical interaction. However, as is the case for all of us today, our target audience also spends most of its time on digital platforms. LinkedIn is the platform where we are most active, but we also use different platforms and social media channels for areas such as employer branding, community management, and event management.
How do you evaluate the importance of SEO strategies in a competitive sector such as fintech?
In B2B business models, investment in content marketing and search engine optimisation is essential. We are all aware of its importance. In fact, it is not only the marketing team. Thankfully, the entire Craftgate team is supportive of content marketing and enjoys contributing to the process.
SEO is also one of the channels where we are ahead of the competition. From the very beginning, we have worked closely with the Kriko team on both the product side and our website. Having an agency that we can consult whenever we need support on specific topics, receive guidance from, and sit down with to discuss strategic issues is a great advantage for us.
