The Foundational Growth on Proteins: Sel Sanayi and CollaSel

There are few stories in the global entrepreneurial landscape demonstrating resilience, vision, and reinvention to the same extent as that of Selim Tezman, an industrialist who transformed his family's history into a modern conglomerate spanning a diverse portfolio of industries, ranging from hydrocolloids, nutraceuticals, marine, food ingredients, insurance, fastener, real estate. His most recent ventures, Nutrafine Health&Nutrition BV in Amsterdam and Nutrafine UK in London, are being established as the unique nutraceutical and dietary supplement brand with European roots and global aspirations.

But Nutrafine is not an isolated success. Rather, it is the culmination of decades of entrepreneurial experimentation, setbacks, and bold bets; from protein production and hydrocolloids to yacht distribution and even urban water transportation.

A Third-Generation Entrepreneur

Selim Tezman did not stumble into entrepreneurship by chance. Born into Tezman Holding, a diversified group founded by his grandfather in 1948 and still chaired by his father, Erol Tezman, he grew up surrounded by industries that shaped the backbone of modern commerce. Manufacturing, marine trade, insurance, and construction all fell under the group's banner.

Yet Tezman's career began far from the safety of his family's boardrooms. After earning his place in New York's financial sector, working in banking, he cultivated a sharp instinct for global markets, capital flows, and strategic growth. The experience abroad proved foundational: finance gave him a lens for risk management, but also the hunger to build businesses that could compete at an international level.

Early Ventures: Renewable Energy

On returning from New York, Tezman's first entrepreneurial initiative was in renewable energy, undertaken under Tezman Holding. Entering this sector ahead of its wider adoption in the region, the project reflected his forward-looking interest in sustainability. The experience gave him valuable exposure to managing long-term industrial investments and balancing environmental responsibility with business growth.

Nonwovens and PPE: Building a Hygiene and Medical Legacy

Following this, Tezman took over the group's nonwovens and medical production business, which had been established as early as 1976. This made the company one of the first in the region to produce nonwoven raw materials used in baby diapers, wet wipes, and medical products.

From this foundation, the business expanded into personal protective equipment (PPE), producing both raw materials for masks and gowns as well as finished products, including masks, surgical gowns, and protective overalls.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this long-standing expertise enabled the company to respond quickly to global demand. What appeared to be a sudden pivot was in fact the result of decades of experience in nonwovens and PPE manufacturing, proving the value of building capacity ahead of time.

The First Big Bet: CollaSel and Sel Sanayi

Returning to the helm and expanding new directions within Tezman Holding, Tezman began advancing its industrial presence. Sel Sanayi, the group's edible and pharmaceutical gelatin producer, and CollaSel, a major global collagen manufacturer, became flagship enterprises under his leadership.

These businesses cemented Tezman's reputation as a forward-looking leader in the food ingredients, hydrocolloid, health and wellness value chain. CollaSel, in particular, grew into one of the world's most recognized producers of bovine and fish collagen peptides, exported worldwide. The venture not only demonstrated his ability to take a niche market to the global stage but also laid the groundwork for what would later become Nutrafine.

Experimentation Beyond Industry: Uber Boat and More

What makes Tezman's entrepreneurial path unique is his willingness to experiment outside of comfort zones.

One such venture was Uber Boat, a partnership with Uber to bring on-demand water taxis to Istanbul's Bosphorus. While the initiative was innovative and captured international attention, it was also a reminder of the challenges of disruptive models in complex regulatory environments.

Each endeavor carried lessons that would later inform the disciplined yet ambitious playbook behind Nutrafine.

Nutrafine: The Culmination of a Vision

In 2024, Tezman launched Nutrafine Health & Nutrition, headquartered in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries spanning the United Kingdom, the United States, and further international markets. Unlike earlier ventures, Nutrafine embodies both legacy and reinvention.

The company positions itself at the intersection of science, wellness, and personalization, offering high-quality dietary supplements designed for the modern consumer. With distribution ambitions across platforms like Amazon and major European retailers, Nutrafine reflects a new generation of health entrepreneurship, data-driven, globally compliant, and consumer-focused.

Crucially, Nutrafine's foundation in the collagen and gelatin expertise of Sel Sanayi and CollaSel gives it an edge that most new wellness brands cannot claim: deep industrial knowledge of ingredients, supply chains, and regulatory standards.

Philosophy: Cautious Growth, Global Thinking

Unlike entrepreneurs chasing hyper-growth at any cost, Tezman embraces a philosophy of cautious, sustainable expansion. "It's not about being first—it's about being enduring," he often remarks in interviews. This approach allows Nutrafine to build steadily while ensuring every step, from formulation to marketing, meets the highest standards of quality and compliance. Products range from powders and gummy supplements to capsules, covering areas such as weight management, beauty, immune support, women's health, children's health, mental wellness, and sleep and stress relief.

His emphasis on personalization, holistic health, and sustainability also aligns Nutrafine with the broader trends redefining the wellness industry. Consumers today demand transparency, eco-conscious sourcing, and products tailored to their lifestyles. Tezman's leadership ensures that Nutrafine is not just following these trends, but also anticipating them.

A Global Entrepreneur with Local Roots

From Istanbul to Amsterdam, London to New York, Selim Tezman has built his entrepreneurial journey as a bridge between markets and cultures. His ventures may span industries as different as nutraceuticals and yacht distribution, but they share a common DNA: a relentless pursuit of innovation, global relevance, and long-term value creation.

Nutrafine may be his latest project, but it is far from the last. For Tezman, entrepreneurship is not about one defining success—it is about the continuous process of building, adapting, and innovating.