Geert van Kerckhoven is co-founder and CEO of Oper, a cloud-based platform that digitizes mortgage origination for lenders across Europe. Backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Motive Ventures and Pitchdrive, Oper now serves over 25 lenders in six countries and has processed more than €1 billion in mortgage volume. Before founding Oper in 2018 alongside Wouter Lachat and Nick Van Berckelaer, Geert spent two decades at the intersection of financial services and technology — from enterprise software and ERP implementations to fintech venture building. As Head of Digital Strategy at Renson, he led transformation roadmaps and new digital revenue models. He later founded 0smosis, a venture studio focused on validating and scaling fintech companies. At Oper, Geert has been at the forefront of deploying AI within heavily regulated financial workflows — from automated document verification and affordability checks to intelligent underwriting. His work sits squarely at the tension point most enterprises face: how to move fast with AI while operating in environments defined by compliance, legacy infrastructure, and institutional caution. Geert holds master's degrees in Business Engineering and Management Information Systems from the University of Antwerp and WU Vienna, complemented by executive programs at Vlerick and IESE Business School. Through Syndicate One, he actively mentors early-stage founders and supports Belgium's growing startup ecosystem.