For SMEs and startups without a technical director
Fractional CTO: a technical director, without the full-time hire.
You need to choose an architecture, hire developers, assess a supplier or rescue a project that is slipping, with no technical director to make the call. We provide a fractional CTO: they make the technical decisions with you, lead the team and suppliers, and prepare the day you hire your own CTO.
- Free quote within 48 hours
- 8+ years of engineering experience in the team
- One contract, with SDK Enterprises
When a fractional CTO is the right answer
Technical decisions with no one to make the call
Which architecture, which hosting, which language, build or buy: choices that commit you for years.
A supplier nobody checks
Quotes, deadlines, code quality: without a technical eye, it is hard to know whether the work is done well.
A team growing without a framework
The first developers are there, but without code review or controlled releases.
A project that is slipping
Delays, production bugs, technical debt: it needs a diagnosis and a recovery plan.
What your fractional CTO does
Architecture choices
Architecture, hosting, security, tools: decided, written down and explained to the team.
Leading the team and suppliers
Priorities, code reviews, delivery tracking, review of technical quotes.
Technical hiring
Job descriptions, technical interviews and, if needed, vetted freelancers from our network.
A roadmap
What to build, in which order and with which resources, presented to management and investors.
How the engagement starts
- 01
First conversation
Your business, your team, your projects and what is blocking you today.
- 02
Free quote within 48 hours
The role, the priorities and the working rhythm, in writing.
- 03
Diagnosis
A review of the code, infrastructure, team and suppliers, with a written report.
- 04
Leadership
The CTO takes up the role at the agreed rhythm, with regular check-ins with management.
When SMEs and startups bring one in
Four situations, and what the CTO does in each.
Launching a product
Choose the architecture, hire or find the team, scope the first version.
Rescuing a project
Diagnose a late project, decide whether to fix or rebuild, and get deliveries back on track.
Preparing a fundraise or a sale
Technical due diligence, roadmap and answers to investors' technical questions.
Modernizing what exists
Move to the cloud, upgrade an old Java or PHP base, reduce production incidents.
Full-time or fractional CTO?
A full-time CTO becomes necessary when technology is your product and the team is growing. Before that, a fractional CTO covers what matters.
| Question | Full-time CTO | Fractional CTO |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Full-time CTOAn executive hire, often with equity. | Fractional CTOA services contract, adjusted to your needs. |
| Availability | Full-time CTOEvery day, in the team. | Fractional CTOThe time agreed together, adjusted when your needs change. |
| Hiring | Full-time CTOOften long, and risky when nobody in-house can assess candidates. | Fractional CTONo hiring: the engagement starts once the quote is accepted. |
| When to choose it | Full-time CTOTechnology is your product and the team already has several developers. | Fractional CTOYou need technical decisions and leadership, not yet a full-time role. |
The experience behind the role
Our engineers were part of the team that moved 600+ internal Crédit Agricole applications to AWS, with 50+ of those migrations delivered by SDK Enterprises. For energy-sector clients, through Sopra Steria, they led the Java 8 → 16 migration of a critical gas trading application. Neither was a CTO engagement: it is the delivery experience your fractional CTO draws on. The team has 8+ years of engineering experience.
- Crédit AgricoleBankingMoving 600+ banking applications from legacy VMs to AWSA block of a large migration team, delivering 50+ application migrations for Crédit Agricole.Read the case study
- Sopra SteriaEnergySecure platforms for energy-sector clients through Sopra SteriaA supervision tool, secure utility APIs and a Java 8 to 16 migration for a gas trading application.Read the case study
Questions about a fractional CTO
What is a fractional CTO?
A technical director who works for several companies, each for part of the time. They make the technical decisions and lead the team and suppliers, without being a full-time employee.
How much time does the CTO spend with us?
The time agreed together, based on your projects. It can go up during a launch or a project rescue, then come down.
Who do we sign with?
With SDK Enterprises, which stays responsible for the engagement, whether your CTO is one of our engineers or a vetted freelance specialist.
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
It depends on the time spent and the work involved. You get a free quote within 48 hours of our first conversation.
And when we want to hire our own CTO?
That is often the goal. We help you define the role, assess candidates and hand over with up-to-date documentation.
Tell us what you need.
Something to build, people to find or a question to answer. In a 30-minute call we listen and tell you honestly how we can help, and what it would take.