Fractional CTO for UK Startups
Get senior technical leadership without the £150k+ salary. I help UK startups and scale-ups build acquisition-ready technology platforms, make critical architecture decisions, and scale their engineering teams.
TL;DR: A fractional CTO provides part-time strategic technology leadership (1-4 days/week) for £2,000-£10,000/month — 60-70% less than a full-time CTO. Ideal for UK startups from pre-seed to Series B who need senior expertise in architecture, tech hiring, and strategy without the £150k+ salary commitment.
Who This Is For
Fractional CTO services are ideal for startups and scale-ups that need senior tech leadership but aren't ready for a full-time hire.
Non-Technical Founders
Building a tech product but need someone to make architecture decisions, vet developers, and translate between business and technology.
Pre-Seed to Series A Startups
You need CTO-level expertise but can't justify a £150k+ salary. A fractional CTO gives you senior leadership at 60-70% lower cost.
Scaling Engineering Teams
Your team is growing from 3 to 15+ engineers. You need help with hiring, processes, architecture, and culture.
Preparing for Due Diligence
Fundraising or M&A on the horizon? I help companies prepare their technology story and pass technical due diligence.
Tech Debt Crisis
Your platform is slowing down, incidents are increasing, and the team is frustrated. Time for strategic technical leadership.
AI & Automation Initiatives
Want to leverage AI but don't know where to start? I help identify practical opportunities and avoid expensive mistakes.
What a Fractional CTO Does
Strategic technology leadership tailored to your stage and needs.
Technology Strategy
Define your technology roadmap, make build vs buy decisions, and align tech investments with business goals.
Architecture & Platform
Design scalable systems, review architecture decisions, and ensure your platform can grow with your business.
Team Building & Hiring
Build your engineering team - from writing job specs to interviewing candidates and defining career paths.
AI & Automation
Identify practical AI opportunities, avoid expensive mistakes, and implement automation that delivers real ROI.
Technical Due Diligence
Prepare for investor scrutiny or acquisition - document your tech, address risks, and present confidently.
Delivery Leadership
Improve engineering practices, unblock your team, and ensure projects ship on time.
Calculate Your Savings
See how much you could save with a Fractional CTO vs full-time hire
1Full-Time CTO Cost
2Fractional CTO Cost
Your Annual Savings
Plus: No equity dilution, immediate start, flexibility to scale
Engagement Models
Flexible part-time arrangements that scale with your needs. No long-term lock-in - most engagements are month-to-month after an initial commitment.
Foundation
- Strategic oversight
- Monthly planning sessions
- Architecture reviews
- Team mentoring
Momentum
- Active roadmap involvement
- Architecture decisions
- Hiring support
- Delivery leadership
- Weekly syncs
Breakthrough
- Deep engagement
- Leading major initiatives
- Transformation projects
- M&A preparation
About Your Fractional CTO
I'm Romain Eude, a 5x CTO with 25+ years of experience building technology platforms for startups and scale-ups. My most recent exit was Utelly, a media tech company I co-founded that was acquired by Synamedia.
I specialise in AI/ML product development, recommendation systems, large-scale data platforms, and helping non-technical founders build tech teams. I've worked across e-commerce, media tech, and fashion tech.
Based in the UK, I work with companies in London, Manchester, and across the UK - both on-site and remotely. I'm also fluent in French and work with French startups looking to expand to UK markets.
UK Success Stories
Real results from UK startups and scale-ups I've worked with.
Platform Scalability
Helped a London fintech scale their engineering team from 5 to 18 engineers while reducing incident rate by 40%.
Series A Preparation
Prepared a fashion tech startup for Series A due diligence, helping them secure £3.5M in funding.
AI Implementation
Implemented AI-powered recommendations that increased customer engagement by 35% for a B2B SaaS.
“Romain helped us define our technology roadmap and make critical architecture decisions that prepared us for our Series A. His experience as a 5x CTO was invaluable.”
Sarah Chen
CEO, TechStart UK
“We needed senior technical leadership but couldn't justify a full-time CTO salary. The fractional model gave us exactly what we needed at a fraction of the cost.”
James Morrison
Founder, DataFlow
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a fractional CTO cost in the UK?
What's the difference between a fractional CTO and an interim CTO?
Can you work with London-based startups on-site?
How quickly can you start?
Ready to Talk?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll discuss your situation and I'll give you honest advice on whether a fractional CTO is right for you - no sales pressure.
Service Areas
UK-Wide Remote
Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol & beyond