Consulting / Fractional CTO
Technical leadership, without the full-time hire.
A fractional CTO for founders and small teams: someone senior who owns the technical decisions, works with your engineers and vendors, and tells you plainly what to build next.
Astra Short on time? Ask about this page in plain words.
Sound familiar? Four problems we are usually called in to fix.
No one senior owns the technology
Founders or managers make technical calls they should not have to.
- Technical roadmap
- Architecture decisions
- One accountable lead
Agencies and vendors are hard to manage
Quotes, timelines and quality are impossible to judge from outside.
- Vendor and agency oversight
- Build versus buy
- Work checked against scope
Hiring engineers without knowing what good looks like
Interviews are guesswork and mis-hires are expensive.
- Team and hiring plan
- Hiring support
- Role definitions
Investors and the board ask hard questions
Technical answers are vague when it matters most.
- Investor and board support
- Security and compliance view
- Handover to a full-time CTO
Senior technical leadership, without the full-time hire.
Let’s talkWhat a fractional CTO does for you. The decisions a full-time CTO would own, at the time you can give it.
Technical roadmap
What to build, in what order, and what to leave out for now.
Architecture decisions
System design choices made and written down, so the team is not guessing.
AI and Web3 calls
Whether AI or blockchain fits a feature at all, and how much autonomy it should have.
Build versus buy
Custom development compared with existing tools before money is committed.
Team and hiring
Roles defined, candidates assessed and engineering practices set.
Vendor and agency oversight
Proposals reviewed, estimates challenged and delivery checked against what was agreed.
Security and compliance
Access, data handling and audit trails planned in, not patched on.
Investor and board support
Clear technical answers for due diligence, board updates and fundraising.
Handover to a full-time CTO
Documentation and context ready for the person you hire next.
Delivered work behind our advice. Our recommendations draw on systems we have built. These are delivery engagements, not consulting projects.
AI agent platform
Agents retrieve, reason and act across systems, with human approval before high-stakes actions.
~40% less manual effort Web3 · ExchangeCentralized crypto exchange
Matching engine, custody and KYC/AML built from scratch in a 20-week build.
99.9% uptime since launch AI · InsuranceFull-stack AI platform for insurance
Fragmented policy, claims and correspondence data connected into one structured workflow.
~2.5x faster processingNeed senior technical judgement, but not a full-time hire yet?
How it starts. A short assessment first, then a steady rhythm of leadership.
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Intake
Understand the business, the product and the decisions that are waiting.
Intake notes
- Business goals
- Current team and vendors
- Decisions waiting
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Technical assessment
Code, architecture, team and vendors reviewed, so advice starts from facts.
Assessment
- Code and architecture reviewed
- Delivery process checked
- Risks identified
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Priorities
An agreed list of what to fix, build and stop, in order.
Priorities
- What to fix first
- What to build next
- What to stop
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Ongoing leadership
Regular time each month: decisions, reviews and support for your team.
Monthly rhythm
- Decisions written down
- Reviews and hiring support
- Progress against the plan
Why founders choose us as a fractional CTO. Leadership from people who ship.
Honest, not sales-driven
We will say "do not build this yet" when that is the accurate read.
Grounded in delivered work
Advice informed by AI and Web3 systems we have shipped, not theory.
A team behind the role
One senior lead, with engineers across AI, Web3 and software to draw on when a question needs depth.
AI and Web3 under one roof
One team that can compare both, rather than favouring the one it sells.
Clear written output
Every engagement ends with a recommendation you can act on or hand over.
No lock-in
The roadmap, documents and decisions are yours. You can hire a full-time CTO or another partner at any point.
Engagement models. Pick the shape that fits where you are.
A set number of days each month
Ongoing technical ownership for a founder or small team.
Until you hire
Cover between CTOs, plus help hiring and handing over to the next one.
Advice and a team
A fractional CTO plus a project-based or dedicated team to build what the roadmap calls for.
What our clients say.
AI platform for an insurance broker
“Avinya Labs built our full-stack AI solution … Their expertise accelerated our launch and significantly reduced execution risk.”
Guides on this topic. Plain answers to the questions buyers ask first.
What Does a Fractional CTO Do? When to Hire One (2026)
What a fractional CTO owns, and when a startup should hire one.
Read the guide → GuideHow to Build an MVP: Steps, Timeline and Cost Drivers
Seven steps from one customer and one job to a first release.
Read the guide → GuideEnterprise AI Deployment: Why Projects Stall in Pilot
The eight causes we see most, and a roadmap that gets AI live.
Read the guide →Fractional CTO FAQs.
What is a fractional CTO?
A senior technology leader who works with you part time, owning the technical roadmap, architecture and engineering decisions without being a full-time employee.
When does a fractional CTO make sense?
When you need senior technical judgement but not a full-time executive yet: before a first build, between CTOs, while managing an outside agency, or ahead of fundraising.
How much time does a fractional CTO spend with us?
It depends on what is waiting. We agree a monthly allocation up front and adjust it as the company changes.
Do we have to build with you?
No. The fractional CTO can oversee your own team or another agency. If you want us to build as well, that is a separate delivery engagement.
Can you help us hire a full-time CTO?
Yes. We can help define the role, assess candidates and hand over the roadmap and documentation.
What does a fractional CTO do day to day?
Sets technical direction, reviews architecture and hiring, and keeps delivery honest against the plan. A fractional CTO also checks the team follows secure practices such as the NIST Secure Software Development Framework.
Free tool
How ready is your business for AI?
Twenty questions, about four minutes. You get a score across five areas and what to fix first.