ABOUT ME

Erkan Mankan

CEO | Executive Board Member

He transforms scientific breakthroughs into economic value through strategic investments and leadership in health technologies. With over 20 years of industry expertise, he has pioneered multiple ventures in drug discovery, cell therapies, and advanced laboratory technologies. His mission: to elevate Türkiye's position in the global biotech ecosystem by creating powerful bridges between researchers, industry leaders, and investors.

Academia & Research

Erkan Mankan graduated from Istanbul Technical University's Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering and is currently pursuing a PhD at Yıldız Technical University, focusing on liposomal drug delivery systems. He is married and father of a daughter.

Industry & Entrepreneurship

With over 20 years of experience in biotechnology, healthcare, and laboratory technologies, he has led R&D ecosystems, technology transfer initiatives, and innovative drug development projects. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of TCT Health Technology, Executive Board Member at Trustlife Ventures, and Founder of Heka Companies.

His work focuses on cell & gene therapies, biopharmaceuticals, and strategic industry collaborations, positioning Türkiye as a key player in global health technologies.

Cell & Gene Therapy

2024

CEO

TCT Saglik

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2024 - Present

In 2024, recognizing the need for advanced cell and gene therapies, biotechnology innovation, and technology transfer, he co-founded TCT Saglik with Öztürk Oran. As CEO, Erkan has established strategic partnerships with global biotech leaders like AbClon and Cytiva to bring CAR-T and cellular therapies to Turkey and develop GMP-certified manufacturing facilities.

Leadership Impact

Under his co-leadership, TCT is becoming a critical milestone in Turkey's efforts to advance personalized medicine and immunotherapies, positioning the country as a regional center for cell and gene therapies.

Cell & Gene Therapy

International Partnerships

GMP Manufacturing

Healthcare Innovation

Health Technologies Venture Capital

2022

Executive Board Member

Trustlife Ventures

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2022 - Present

In 2022, to enhance Turkey's drug discovery and healthcare technology sector, Heka Human was acquired by Trustlife Ventures, integrating into a larger ecosystem. Alongside Dr. Bülent Denkdemir, Mehmet Uğurlu, Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu, and Prof. Dr. Hasan Türkez, he played a pivotal role in transforming Turkey's first private preclinical center for small-molecule drug discovery into a world-class research facility.

Under their leadership, Trustlife Ventures launched Turkey's first Health Technologies Venture Capital Fund, regulated by the Capital Markets Board (SPK), to support innovative drug discovery projects through private investment mechanisms. By 2025, this initiative aims to initiate new Phase 1 clinical trials in Turkey, integrating the country into the global pharmaceutical and drug development ecosystem.

As an Executive Board Member at Trustlife Ventures, Erkan focuses on operational excellence and corporate communications, ensuring Turkey's active role in global drug development.

Venture Capital

Drug Discovery

Clinical Trials

Strategic Development

Laboratory | Pilot Process

2016

Founder

Heka

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2016 - Present

Heka is an innovative ecosystem operating in biotechnology, drug discovery, and laboratory technologies. Founded in 2016, Heka initially focused on laboratory technologies and research solutions, serving as the official representative of leading global companies such as Cytiva, Pall, Eppendorf, Sotax, and Advion Interchim. Over time, Heka expanded into R&D and drug development, becoming a key player in Turkey's biotech ecosystem.

In 2020, Heka Science was established at Yıldız Technical University Technopark, specializing in next-generation drug delivery systems, liposomal formulations, Lab-on-a-Chip platforms, and encapsulation technologies, providing advanced R&D support to both academia and industry.

In 2021, Heka Human was launched as one of Turkey's first privately funded preclinical laboratories dedicated to early-phase drug discovery (small molecule) focusing on computational chemistry, medicinal chemistry, cell biology, and formulation sciences.

Through its strong industry partnerships, Heka aims to bridge science and technology, enhance Turkey's drug development capabilities, produce innovative solutions, and lead global collaborations in biotechnology.

Biotechnology

Drug Discovery

Laboratory Technologies

R&D Services

Web3 Innovation in Life Sciences

2023

Board Member

Wodo Network

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2023 - Present

Believing that innovation should not be confined to science alone, since 2023, Erkan has been actively investing in and serving as a Board Member of Wodo Network, working on integrating Web3 technologies into biotech commercialization and life sciences.

Strategic Focus

In this role, he provides strategic guidance on bridging traditional biotechnology with emerging blockchain applications, creating new paradigms for data security, intellectual property protection, and research funding in the life sciences sector.