Dr. Aslı Samancı, the female entrepreneur and cofounder of BEE&YOU, received the gold medal at the 8th International Invention Fair (ISIF) 2023. BEE&YOU won the first prize with its patented and award-winning extraction method by competing against 424 patents from 22 countries!
The ISIF fair is Turkey's first and only international invention fair that brings national and international participants together for research and innovation activities. This year's fair took place from April 27th to May 1st at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, where innovative companies worldwide gathered. Seven companies from I.T.U. won awards at the fair, including BEE&YOU, whose cofounder and CEO, Dr. Aslı Samancı, received the first-place award from the international jury.
Dr. Aslı Samancı, a food engineer and cofounder of BEE&YOU, which produces Anatolian propolis using the "Contracted Beekeeping" model, explained the high-quality extraction process of Anatolian propolis achieved through their patented extraction technology. She said, "When I was looking for a solution for my son's immunity problem, I decided to produce propolis myself. However, when propolis is consumed in raw form, its bioavailability is only about 2%. Therefore, it needs to be extracted using a suitable solvent. After intensive research, we developed an extraction method that provides the highest bioavailability of valuable phenolic and flavonoid compounds in propolis. We received a patent for this method in the U.S. However, we must thank the Anatolian geography for its contribution because one-third of Europe's plant diversity is in our region. Therefore, we believe we have the most valuable geography for quality in producing bee products. At BEE&YOU, we blend Anatolian propolis extracts obtained through the "Contracted Beekeeping" model from all over Anatolia in our R&D Center and standardize the total phenolic and flavonoid amounts and total antioxidant capacities to obtain our patented Pure Anatolian Propolis Extract (A.P.E.) ®. Each batch of product produced in our facility maintains these standardized amounts, and the quality and assurance of each batch of products are ensured through a three-stage inspection before reaching your table. Moreover, our "Contracted Beekeeping" model enables traceable production from the beehive to the table, supporting the quality and reliability of the final product."
Dr. Aslı Samancı, the founder and CEO of BEE&YOU, expressed her gratitude for receiving the award. "Our award-winning and patented extraction method, developed through intensive R&D and innovation studies at I.T.U., has once again been recognized internationally with the 8th ISIF 2023 International Invention Competition. This valuable award we received at ISIF 2023, organized in collaboration with the International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation, is very precious to us. I thank the esteemed jury members who deemed us worthy of this award. All our achievements are a source of motivation for us. With firm steps, we continue our journey to introduce this healing power from bees to the whole world. This valuable award that we received at the ISIF 2023 Invention Competition proves our national and international success."