Istanbul, Turkey

Cemal
Yerlikaya

Co-Founder & COO — Docyrus, Inc.

Serial entrepreneur building technology ventures across Istanbul, London & San Francisco.

AI B2B Startups Operations
Cemal Yerlikaya
25+ Years
4 Ventures
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Engineering meets
entrepreneurship

My career began not in a boardroom, but at the whiteboard — studying mathematical engineering at Istanbul Technical University, where I learned to find elegant solutions to complex problems. That instinct for precision, combined with a parallel degree in Business Administration, shaped a professional path that has never separated "how it works" from "why it matters."

Over two decades, I've moved from corporate IT consulting and supply chain engineering at global companies like Huawei and Motorola Solutions, through senior commercial and product roles at Electro World / Dixons Retail and retail technology, to founding and scaling my own ventures. Each chapter added a new layer: operations, sales, marketing, product — and ultimately, company-building.

Today I focus on what I do best — building organizations that work. As Co-Founder & COO of Docyrus, Inc., I lead a globally distributed team from İstanbul, while holding founding and operating roles at three other technology ventures across Istanbul and London. My edge is the ability to move fluidly between strategy and execution — and never confuse the two.

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Years of Experience

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Ventures Founded

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Corporate Clients

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Platform Users

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Career growth trajectory over 25 years

Where I invest
my energy today

Managing Partner & COO

KivaCRM

Istanbul, Turkey — Nov 2019 – Present

A leading CRM and enterprise software platform trusted by 300+ corporate clients across 40+ industries — including Vodafone, Novartis, Allianz, and Bayer. I lead all operational and commercial strategies for the platform.

Visit KivaCRM →
Founding Board Member

Attornaid

London, UK — Jan 2020 – Present

A legal technology venture headquartered in London, bringing AI-driven solutions to the legal services industry. I serve as a founding board member, contributing strategic direction and operational expertise.

Visit Attornaid →
Founding Board Member

Dakiva Teknoloji

Istanbul, Turkey — Sep 2014 – Present

A technology and CRM consultancy firm delivering tailor-made enterprise software, mobile applications, SaaS platforms, and IT outsourcing to leading corporations. Dakiva is the technology backbone behind KivaCRM.

Visit Dakiva →

Two decades of
building & leading

Entrepreneurship Era

Co-Founder & COO

Docyrus, Inc.

Apr 2022 – Present · San Francisco

Founded Docyrus with a mission to redefine how modern businesses manage and leverage data. Leading a globally distributed team, I own all operational functions while shaping the product and go-to-market strategy — building the company from zero to a recognized platform in the B2B technology space.

AIB2B SaaSOperationsProduct Strategy

Managing Partner & COO

KivaCRM

Nov 2019 – Present · Istanbul

Joined KivaCRM as Managing Partner, transforming it into a market-leading CRM platform with 300+ enterprise clients, 20,000+ users, and presence across 40+ industries. I oversee commercial strategy, partner relations, and platform operations.

CRMEnterprise SalesP&L Management

Founding Board Member

Attornaid

Jan 2020 – Present · London

Contributed to the founding of Attornaid, a legal tech venture in London, bringing strategic perspective and operational experience to help shape its growth trajectory in the AI-driven legal services market.

Legal TechAIBoard Leadership

Founder

Dakiva Teknoloji

Sep 2014 – Present · Istanbul

Founded Dakiva Teknoloji — a full-service technology company — taking complete management responsibility across all departments: finance, HR, sales, development, and support. Dakiva's flagship product KivaCRM now serves hundreds of enterprise clients.

SaaSCloud ComputingTeam Building
Corporate Leadership Era

Category Manager

Hizlial.com

Jun 2014 – Jan 2015 · Istanbul

Managed the full P&L of the Telecom category — simultaneously acting as Sales, Marketing, and Purchasing Manager. Owned budget management, supplier relations, pricing strategy, stock operations, and all B2B sales for the category.

E-CommerceCategory ManagementB2B

Commercial Marketing & Brand Manager

Adec Teknoloji

Oct 2013 – Jun 2014 · Istanbul

Managed end-to-end brand strategy and commercial marketing for an A/V technology distributor, overseeing a portfolio of 11 international brands including BARCO and NEC across Turkey and Turkish Republic markets. Owned pricing, dealer networks, and revenue streams.

Brand ManagementDistributionMarket Strategy

Telecom Group Product Manager

Electro World | Dixons Retail plc

Nov 2012 – Oct 2013 · Istanbul

At one of Europe's largest consumer electronics retailers, I ran the Telecom product group as a standalone business unit — managing purchasing, marketing, pricing, and sales strategy simultaneously. Delivered complex annual profitability projects and drove commercial performance.

RetailProduct ManagementSupply Chain

Project Control Engineer

Huawei

Mar 2011 – Jul 2012

Managed supply chain processes and Material Management Systems for Huawei's infrastructure projects. Temporarily served as Vodafone DSP Warehouse Manager, and led the Istanbul Swap Project as Project Manager.

Supply ChainProject ManagementTelecom
Early Career

Service & Sales Manager

Mert Bilişim

Oct 2007 – Jul 2008

Managed sales, advertising, and fair organizations. Delivered multiple web projects including simdisat.com and fuar365.com — combining technical execution with commercial management.

SalesWeb Development

Quality Assurance Specialist

Motorola Solutions

Jun 2007 – Oct 2007

Managed quality assurance processes and supported IT solutions, contributing to the successful achievement of the TAPA (Technology Asset Protection Association) certificate.

Quality AssuranceIT

Corporate IT Solutions Consultant & Trainer

Professional Minds Information Technologies

Jun 2005 – Jun 2007

Started my professional journey advising and training major corporations — from Finansbank to Mercedes-Benz Turk and Koç Allianz. Delivered IT solutions, managed training programs, and developed web projects. The foundation of everything that followed.

IT ConsultingCorporate TrainingCRM

What I bring
to the table

Core Competencies

Artificial Intelligence (AI) B2B Strategy Startups Leadership Operations Management Business Development Sales Management CRM Product Strategy Corporate IT Consulting Supply Chain Management Account Management Risk Management Cost Reduction Marketing Negotiation Team Building P&L Management

Languages

TurkishNative
EnglishProfessional Working
SpanishElementary
GermanElementary

Globally connected

The foundations
of everything

2003 – 2010

Istanbul Technical University

BSc — Mathematical Engineering

Graduated from one of Turkey's most prestigious technical universities with a degree in Mathematical Engineering. Developed rigorous analytical and computational thinking that underpins every strategic and operational decision I make.

Mathematics Engineering Computational Methods
2005 – 2010

Anadolu University

BSc — Business Administration & Management

Pursued a second degree in Business Administration in parallel with my engineering studies — a deliberate choice to build the commercial and organizational intelligence needed to translate technical expertise into real business value.

Management Finance Marketing Strategy
2000 – 2003

Edirne Fen Lisesi

Science High School

1996 – 2000

Gebze Anadolu Lisesi

Anatolian High School

Life beyond the desk

Let's build
something together

Whether it's a partnership opportunity, a conversation about technology, or simply wanting to connect — I'm always open to a good conversation.