The Entrepreneurial Mind Behind Prestige
By Emma Cilloniz
Talking to student entrepreneurs has shown me that ambition has no limits. A perfect example of this is Burak Tezcan, a Turkish-born entrepreneur who’s making a name for himself in the AI scene. I recently had the privilege of chatting with him about his journey, from studying computer science at TU Delft to co-founding Prestige, a company that’s all about changing the way consumers interact online.
Burak’s story starts in Turkey, where he spent a year pursuing his bachelor’s degree before deciding to move to the Netherlands. In 2021, he found himself in the small but academically challenging town of Delft, studying Computer Science and Engineering at TU Delft.
It was not an easy transition. TU Delft is known for its rigorous workload, and Delft itself doesn’t offer the most varied student social life. But Burak made the most of it. By his third year, he co-founded Prestige and established the Turkish Association at TU Delft, serving as its first president and ensuring that it remains a thriving organization to this day. “My body is not immortal,” he says, “but my activities and initiatives can be.”
Burak has always had an entrepreneurial mindset. Since the age of 16, he’s been taking on internships to gain experience, preparing himself for the day he could launch his own venture. His first taste of entrepreneurship and leadership came three years ago when him and his friends in Delft organized a fundraising event for the most recent earthquake relief in Turkey. After such a positive and successful experience, Burak felt ignited and discovered a passion for building meaningful projects.
It was Kayra, Burak´s roommate and close friend, who first pitched the idea for what would eventually become Prestige. Initially called Tabak, “food plate” in Turkish, the company revolved around AI-powered online menus for Michelin-star restaurants. But as they developed the product, they found that restaurant owners valued their social panel the most. This feature offered AI-powered customer review management, real-time analysis, and automated responses via their AI agent, RemiHub—creatively named after the chef rat from Ratatouille. In November 2024, they rebranded from Tabak to Prestige after realizing that “Tabak” had different connotations in many languages.
Prestige was officially launched in August 2023 and is made up of three members. Burak, who lives in The Hague, is the project developer, motivator, programmer, and the guy who keeps the team on track with deadlines. Kayra, his roommate and friend, is the creative mind and person responsible for presentation, and finally, Sinan, the “genius” of the team, works remotely from Oxford as their programmer.
Working with your close friend isn’t always smooth sailing, though. Burak and Kayra have what he calls a “beautiful but complicated” relationship, constantly navigating the challenges of living together, running a business together, and staying close friends. Arguments happen, but at the end of the day, they share the same goal: making Prestige a success.
Right now, Prestige is at a crossroads. While their product is strong, all three founders are engineers, which means they lack a business-minded team member who can be in charge of finding new clients and promoting their company. They’re actively searching for someone who can fill this gap and help Prestige grow.
If there’s one thing Burak thrives from, it’s a challenge. Apart from his venture, which he works on during the night, he is a full-time software developer at Milvum. For the past 10 months, he has served in this digital agency dedicated to building apps and platforms with top customer experience for clients such as ING, Postnl, Rabobank, and KVK. With a history of taking on big responsibilities, such as founding a student organization, graduating from TU Delft’s intense course, or launching a startup, he navigates it with ease and success.
Burak’s journey is proof that hard work, adaptability, and a strong vision can take you far. As he and his team push Prestige to new heights, we at ECE Students wish him the best of luck. If you’re a student entrepreneur looking to connect, Prestige is actively looking for new talent in business development.
As always, the ECE Student Network is here to support Burak and other ambitious minds on their journey. Burak, we can’t wait to see what’s next!
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