iOS App Studio & Advisory Virtus Opus Where Virtue Meets Technology

We build iOS apps that reach real users — and provide the financial strategy to launch and scale them. 12 apps live, fractional CFO services, and startup mentoring across 8 accelerator programmes. A member of Anthropic's Claude for Startups program.

12 Apps Live
Fractional CFO
8 Accelerators
8 Ep. Podcast
Claude for Startups
Who I Am

About Me

Entrepreneur, VC, Startup CxO, Advisor, Mentor & Technology Enthusiast

Know Thyself - Greek Philosophy
Gnothi seauton (Know Thyself)
Temple of Apollo

I am an executive who builds. My career spans 22 years of C-suite leadership and $40M+ raised across four founder journeys (1 exit, 3 failures). I've mastered the corporate rigour of KPMG and Turkcell alongside the high-velocity chaos of startups like V-Count and Scotty.

Recently, I've pivoted to the technical frontier, mastering Python, TypeScript, and agentic AI. My venture, Virtus Opus, was accepted into Anthropic's Claude for Startups program, giving me early access to build alongside the team at the frontier of LLMs.

I offer a rare hybrid: I speak fluent VC and fluent LLMs. I don't just strategize digital transformation — I vibe code the full-stack applications and agents that execute it.

Off-duty, I'm a snowboarder 🏂, motorcyclist 🏍️, and a traveller ✈️. I'm driven by a gamified self-discipline that ensures I'm a better builder — and a better person — every single day.

Forward-Deployed AI Builder (FDE)

Virtus Opus · Self-employed Jul 2025 – Present · Remote

Fractional Executive & Venture Advisor

Virtus Opus · Part-time Jan 2019 – Present · Hybrid

Founder & Venture Builder

Independent · Self-employed Jan 2014 – Present · Hybrid

Strategy and Investments Manager

ODTÜ70 Girişim Sermayesi Yatırım Fonu · Contract Dec 2025 – Jul 2026 · Ankara

CFO & Head of People Operations / Managing Partner / Angel Investor

Scotty · Full-time Jul 2018 – Nov 2022 · Istanbul

CFO & Head of HR / Managing Partner

V-Count Jul 2015 – Nov 2018 · Istanbul

Commercial Controlling Manager — Marketing & Sales

Generali Sigorta · Full-time Feb 2015 – Aug 2015 · Istanbul

Senior Controller — Strategic Finance Department

Turkcell · Full-time Jan 2013 – Feb 2015 · Istanbul

Senior Controller — Controlling Division

Turkcell · Full-time May 2010 – Dec 2012 · Istanbul

Audit Manager

KPMG Türkiye · Full-time Sep 2005 – May 2010 · Istanbul

Bachelor of Economics

Middle East Technical University 1999 - 2005

Studied economics with a focus on microeconomics and stat.

High School Diploma

Eregli High School 1995 - 1999

Completed general education with emphasis on mathematics and science.

Continuous Learning

🐍

Python Programming

⚛️

React & Web Development

📊

Data Analysis

🤖

AI & Machine Learning

Finance and Investment

💰 Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
📈 Stock Market | Fundamental and Technical Analysis | Bitcoin - Blockchain - Defi
💲 Cryptocurrencies: Onchain Analysis, Sentiment Analysis

Programming and Software Development

🤖 Machine Learning Applications with Python - BTK Academy
🐍 The Complete Python Bootcamp from Zero to Hero - Udemy
🐍 Python from Scratch to Advanced - BTK Academy
💻 C# Programming - BTK Academy
🎮 Game Development with Unity - BTK Academy
🌐 Web Dev. with HTML5 - BTK Academy

Digital Leadership and Entrepreneurship

💼 Dijital Liderlik Akademisi - GSU / BOUN
🚀 StartNowHow/ Entrepreneurship Certificate - Bogazici University

Digital Marketing

📈 Digital Marketing Masterclass - Udemy
📊 Google Adwords Fundamentals - Google
🌐 Google Digital Marketing Certificate - Google

Data Science and Analytics

🤖 Introduction to AI - BTK Academy
📂 Data Mining Certification - METU
📉 Google Analytics for Beginners - Google

Graphic Design and Multimedia

🎨 Adobe Illustrator - BTK Academy
🖼️ Introduction to Graphic Design - BTK Academy
✏️ Basic Drawing Skills - BTK Academy

Communication and Presentation Skills

🇷🇺 European Language Portfolio for Russian Language - B1
🇮🇹 Complete Italian Course - Udemy
🎤 Diction-Effective Speaking Course Program - MEB

Certifications in Specialized Skills

📊 Lean 6 Sigma White Belt - Results Corp.
🚁 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Pilot Certificate (Drone) - SHGM
💡 Berkeley Innovation Index (BII) - 93

Startup Accelerator Programs

I'm passionate about helping startups grow and succeed. I currently serve as a mentor for the following startup accelerator programs:

💼 Tech Istanbul
📞 Turk Telekom Pilot
🏗️ Bilişim Vadisi
🚀 Endeavor
🏢 Village Capital
🚗 Istinye Garage
🌐 Impact Hub
💰 QNBeyond

On-Demand Advisory

🇪🇺 EIT Urban Mobility — Expert Evaluator, EU-funded projects

As a mentor, I provide guidance on business strategy, financial planning, fundraising, and scaling operations to help startups navigate their growth journey.

What We Do

Our Services

Comprehensive technology solutions for modern businesses

Application Development

End-to-end design and development of scalable, high-performance applications.

  • Web & Mobile applications
  • Prompt Engineering
  • UI/UX design
  • Database & APIs

Fractional CFO Services

Expert financial strategy and leadership to drive business growth and stability.

  • Comprehensive CFO Advisory
  • Controlling and Reporting
  • Investment Readiness & Closure
  • Business Strategy & Implementation

Startup Advisory

Strategic guidance to help startups navigate challenges and achieve sustainable growth.

  • Business Planning
  • Digital strategy
  • Operational strategy
  • Growth strategy
Our Apps

Portfolio Products

Mobile applications built with passion and precision

USER REVIEWS

What Users Are Saying

Real feedback from users across our portfolio apps

Podcast

Bi' Yerden Başlamak Lazım

İş dünyası, girişimcilik ve gündelik merakları samimi bir dille konuşuyoruz

🎙️

Bi' Yerden Başlamak Lazım

with Erdem Gülen & Ömürden Sezgin · Spotify

Kariyer yolculukları, karar anları, motivasyon, değişim, yeni fikirler ve günlük sorunlar üzerine her bölüm yaklaşık 20 dakika. Hatalar, dersler, başarı öyküleri — hepsi samimi bir dille.

Erdem Gülen & Ömürden Sezgin
Questions

Frequently Asked

What people usually want to know before working with us.

What does Virtus Opus do?

Virtus Opus is an independent iOS app studio and startup advisory practice. We do two things that rarely sit under one roof: we design and ship consumer iOS applications — twelve are live on the App Store — and we provide fractional CFO services, fundraising strategy, and startup advisory to early-stage founders.

The combination is deliberate. The same people who understand your cap table also understand what it costs to build and ship the product.

Who is behind Virtus Opus?

Erdem Gülen. His background spans corporate finance (KPMG, Turkcell) and startup executive roles (V-Count, Scotty). He has co-founded four ventures — three failures and one exit — angel invests, and mentors founders across seven accelerator programs.

After years advising startups he learned to build software directly, and now writes the code as well as the financial models.

What is a fractional CFO, and when does a startup need one?

A fractional CFO is a part-time chief financial officer — senior financial leadership without the cost of a full-time executive hire. Typically it makes sense when you have real revenue or an upcoming raise, but the finance work does not yet justify a full-time CFO salary.

Common triggers: preparing for a seed or Series A round, a cap table that has become hard to reason about, investors asking for reporting you cannot currently produce, or a founder spending too many hours in spreadsheets instead of on the product.

What is included in your fractional CFO service?

Comprehensive CFO advisory, controlling and reporting, investment readiness and round closure support, and business strategy and implementation. In practice this means financial modeling, investor-ready reporting, data room preparation, budget and runway management, and sitting in on the conversations where the numbers matter.

Do you build apps for clients, or only your own products?

Both. The portfolio on this site is our own — every app was designed, built, and shipped in-house, which is also the proof of what we can do for a client. We take on client application development covering iOS and web applications, AI and prompt engineering, UI/UX design, and databases and APIs.

What kind of startups do you work with?

Mostly early-stage — pre-seed through Series A — where a founder needs financial rigor, a product shipped, or both, and cannot yet justify senior full-time hires for either. We work with founders worldwide and are comfortable operating fully remotely.

How much does it cost?

It depends on scope, and we would rather quote honestly than publish a number that turns out to be wrong for your situation. Engagements range from a focused one-off piece of work — a financial model, an investment readiness review — to an ongoing monthly fractional CFO retainer.

Get in touch with a short description of where you are and we will tell you what it would realistically take.

Are your apps private? Do they send my data anywhere?

Most of our apps are deliberately privacy-first and process data on-device. OpusCam analyses your photo library entirely on your iPhone, B-Roll AI tags your camera roll locally, and Veyl keeps your travel history on-device with no account required.

Where an app does use a cloud service, its own privacy policy — linked from each app page — says so explicitly.

Where are you based?

Istanbul, Turkey — working with founders and companies worldwide. Advisory and development engagements run remotely as a matter of course, across time zones.

How do we start working together?

Email hello@virtusop.us or use the contact form below. Tell us roughly where you are — stage, what you are building, and what is currently in your way. The first conversation is a conversation, not a pitch.

GET IN TOUCH

Let's Connect

"History is written by the victors."
- Walter Benjamin

Only 0.05% of all entrepreneurial activities result in success per Andreesen Horowitz. We only hear the success stories, but there are many more untold failures.

Don't lose your way, get in touch if you need guidance.

Email

hello@virtusop.us

Location

Available Worldwide