# Efe Çakarel

> Efe Çakarel is the Turkish founder and CEO of MUBI, the London-based film streaming, distribution and production company he founded in 2007. An MIT-trained engineer and Stanford MBA who previously worked at Goldman Sachs, he built MUBI around human film selection and expanded it into theatrical distribution and production.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at MUBI
- **Organizations:** MUBI, Goldman Sachs, SAP, Serpentine Galleries
- **From:** Izmir, Turkey
- **Nationality:** Turkish
- **Education:** American Collegiate Institute, Izmir, BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Founded MUBI in 2007 and led its expansion from a film community and streaming service into distribution and production., Led MUBI’s acquisition of The Match Factory and Match Factory Productions in 2022., Built a film subscription business that he said reached 1.7 million subscribers at the end of Q1 2026.

## Career timeline

- **1994-1998** — Studied electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.
- **Before 2007** — Worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in London and New York; also worked at SAP.
- **2003-2005** — Completed an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
- **2007** — Founded The Auteurs, later renamed MUBI.
- **2010** — The Auteurs became MUBI.
- **2015** — MUBI entered theatrical distribution with Arabian Nights, partnering with New Wave Films.
- **2022** — MUBI acquired The Match Factory and Match Factory Productions.
- **2025** — MUBI secured $100 million from Sequoia Capital; filmmakers criticised the investor relationship.
- **2026** — Reaffirmed his preference for human-made films at the Zurich Summit.

## Achievements

- Founded MUBI in 2007 and led its expansion from a film community and streaming service into distribution and production.
- Led MUBI’s acquisition of The Match Factory and Match Factory Productions in 2022.
- Built a film subscription business that he said reached 1.7 million subscribers at the end of Q1 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — At the Zurich Summit on September 26, said MUBI uses AI in business functions but intends to keep it away from filmmaking; renewed plans for physical cinemas.
- **2026-04** — Acknowledged subscriber losses and slower growth in 2025; said MUBI reached 1.7 million subscribers by the end of Q1 2026.
- **2025-08** — Responded to criticism over Sequoia’s investment and announced ethical-funding and artist-advisory measures.

## Links

- Website: https://cakarel.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cakarel/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/cakarel
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakarel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cakarel

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/efe-cakarel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15