ESAS Holding

ESAS Holding

ESAS Holding was established in 1993 by the late Şevket Sabancı to manage his family's share of the Sabanci dynasty's wealth, distinct from the publicly listed Sabanci Holding controlled by his siblings' branches. Today, Chairman Ali Sabancı and Vice Chairperson Emine Sabancı Kamışlı oversee a private portfolio that spans real estate across four countries, Turkey's leading low-cost carrier, and a dedicated venture capital arm active in early-stage technology. The firm operates from Beykoz, Istanbul. The family's investment posture blends hard-asset ownership with opportunistic venture exposure. Real estate holdings include the 01 Burda and 10 Burda shopping malls in Adana and Balıkesir, respectively, alongside international commercial properties: a former light bulb factory converted into an office building in Berlin's Wedding district, and the Brainport Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands. In aviation, ESAS is the controlling shareholder of Pegasus Airlines (per public record), one of Europe's fastest-growing budget carriers, listed on the Borsa Istanbul. Through Esas Ventures, founded and led by Fethi Sabancı Kamışlı, the office is a notable participant in Turkey's startup ecosystem. Kazım Köseoğlu serves as Managing Partner of Esas Properties, anchoring the real estate division. The firm's professionals are active in elite networks including YPO and TÜSİAD; Çağatay Özdoğru, an ESAS executive, chairs the Turkey-France Business Council at DEİK. The office maintains a direct bitcoin position as part of its liquid alternative exposure. Recent activity confirms a dual strategy of value-add real estate repositioning and secondaries transactions. Philanthropic efforts are centralized through Esas Sosyal, led by Emine Sabancı Kamışlı, which runs youth employment programs and the Şevket Sabancı Culture and Art Center. ESAS Holding's architecture diverges from the typical regional family office by operating as a direct principal investor rather than a fund allocator. The firm sources and executes its own deals across real estate, private equity, and venture capital without operating a fund-of-funds program or accepting external co-investment capital. This self-contained model, combined with control of an operating airline, gives it an unusual hybrid structure — part asset manager, part strategic holding company — that few family offices in the region replicate.