CTO Consulting Services from a fractional CTO or interim CTO with an agreed mandate.
We provide CTO consulting services for founders and executive sponsors shaping their next stage of growth. A fractional CTO leads agreed architecture decisions and the delivery plan, working with your engineering team. We can pair the mandate with unicrew engineers to implement it.
- 120+Projects delivered across 12 countries since 2012
- 100+Senior in-house engineers, six countries
- 5.0Unified rating across 61 client reviews on Clutch
- ISO 27001Certified security practice, audited by Quay Audit UK
- PMPCertified project managers
01Overview
When you need CTO consulting services
Appoint a fractional CTO for recurring technical leadership, or an interim CTO for a defined transition or milestone. A technical review can establish which responsibilities your next mandate should cover.
- Delegated technical decisionsThe CTO leads the technical decisions you delegate and records the reasoning behind them.
- Sponsor approvals and reportingYour sponsor sets priorities and approves matters outside the mandate. We agree what the CTO reports and when.
- Built to end wellDecision records and roadmap rationale support the next leader. Transition responsibilities are agreed with the mandate.
- Choose the responsibility you needTechnology advisory evaluates options for your own decision. Business analysis defines requirements; a dedicated team implements an agreed roadmap.
02Proof
Technical judgment applied to working systems
Our engineering work puts senior technical judgment into architecture changes, cloud operations and platform development.
- Architecture changes carried into deliveryWe split the existing dataset across multiple databases for Solus Connect and refactored WaiverKing onto Yii 2.0 with release automation. For Crik-IT, our work included infrastructure assessment, migration to Azure and deployment pipelines. These engineering decisions address how an established system develops and scales.Weeks to hourson WaiverKing, to ship an update to live after the refactor and the release automation we called
- Cloud expertise with an operating resultA US B2B SaaS company brought us into its programming and infrastructure work. Founder Patrick W. described a smooth transition and credited our AWS and Heroku knowledge with helping reduce AWS costs by 30% or more. The result connects technical implementation choices to the cost of operating that platform.30%+lower AWS costs after we took over a US B2B SaaS platform and its infrastructure from the previous vendor
- Long-horizon technical stewardshipIn his 2022 Clutch review, WaiverKing CEO Craig Elsdon-Dew described a software partnership that began in January 2014. He credited the engineering work with helping grow the platform "from a couple hundred companies to around 2,000". That relationship connects implementation judgment with a growing business.~2,000companies the platform reached, up from a couple hundred, in the software partnership that began in January 2014, as reported in 2022
03Compare
Which CTO model fits your situation
A fractional CTO provides recurring leadership; an interim CTO covers a defined transition or milestone. CTO as a Service describes the service arrangement. Choose the cadence and mandate around the leadership your company already has.
| Fractional CTOunicrew | Full-time CTOHire | No senior technical leadWait |
|---|---|---|
| Best forRecurring technical leadership for selected architecture decisions, delivery oversight or a developing roadmap. | Best forA permanent leadership role with the breadth of responsibility and daily involvement your company requires. | Best forA stable system where the existing team handles routine decisions and can commission advice for a specific question. |
| What it asks of youAgree delegated decisions and availability. Provide system context, an executive sponsor and approvals outside the CTO's mandate. | What it asks of youRecruit and onboard the leader, define their authority and maintain the employment relationship. | What it asks of youKeep responsibility for technical decisions clear and review when a change needs senior input. |
| You end up owningThe agreed decision records and roadmap, with ownership and transfer terms defined in the engagement. | You end up owningAn internal leadership function, with responsibility for its authority, development and continuity. | You end up owningThe existing team's implementation knowledge and the decision records it maintains. |
Quick self-check
Tick what is true for you. The read-out updates as you go.
0 of 4 true
You already have a technical owner
With senior leadership in place, technology advisory provides a second assessment of a selected decision. Business analysis develops the specification when direction is agreed and requirements need definition.
Talk it throughClarify the selected decision
One selected need is worth scoping with us. We establish whether it calls for a focused assessment or a CTO mandate with leadership responsibility.
Talk it throughAssess the leadership scope
Review these needs together before choosing ongoing leadership. An assessment can establish the technical priorities and the responsibilities a CTO mandate should cover.
Book a discovery callDefine a fractional or interim mandate
Your answers identify several technical leadership needs. We scope them into a recurring fractional mandate or a defined interim milestone, with reporting and transition arrangements.
Book a discovery callAgree the mandate before leadership begins
Start with an assessment of the architecture, delivery and technical review needs. We use the findings to agree decision powers, sponsor approvals and the leadership model.
Start with the assessmentOur fractional CTO plans the handover to your full-time hire from the start. We record why each major architecture decision was made and grow engineering management inside your team. We also help you define the CTO you hire next.
Andrii BurdaSenior Engineering Manager, unicrew04Capabilities
What a CTO engagement covers
Select the work around the technical decisions you want your CTO to lead. Our CTO consulting guide explains the category.
- Software architecture review
Architecture and scale review
Data flows and integrationsWe map architecture, data flows and integrations, then identify scaling constraints. You receive the options and sequencing needed to decide which changes belong in the roadmap.
- Technology roadmap consulting
Technology roadmap
Horizon agreed at scopingWe prioritize the technical work around your business goals and system constraints. The roadmap records the proposed sequence and stack choices for sponsor approval.
- Technical due diligence
Due diligence preparation
Your side of the reviewWe prepare selected documentation on code, architecture and technical debt, then support your responses to investor questions. Our technical due diligence guide explains the review topics.
- Software delivery consulting
Delivery process turnaround
CI/CD, review, cadenceWe examine how work is scoped, reviewed, tested and released. The CTO leads agreed delivery process improvements with your engineering lead, including release automation and review cadence.
- Engineering team assessment
Engineering team and vendor assessment
Single points of failureWe assess responsibilities, system knowledge and vendor delivery against your needs. The findings inform team development and future role requirements; your sponsor retains hiring and commercial approvals.
- AI strategy consulting
Where AI belongs in the sequence
Sequenced, then routedWe place AI work in the technology roadmap and identify the decisions it needs. An AI readiness assessment examines readiness; selected AI leadership and implementation have their own agreed scope.
- Security posture review
Security and compliance posture
Access, data, dependenciesWe review access controls, data handling and dependencies, then prioritize technical actions against your security and compliance requirements. The mandate defines the CTO's responsibilities alongside your security and legal owners.
- Cloud cost optimization
Cloud cost and scaling review
Without a re-platformWe review infrastructure usage, costs and scaling constraints, then compare changes to the existing environment with a platform move. Our US B2B SaaS infrastructure work illustrates a cloud optimization engagement.
05Trust
What a CTO engagement hands over
The agreement defines the outputs you receive, acceptance and ownership or transfer terms. We record the reasoning your next technical leader needs.
- PrioritizedA written read on architecture, delivery and scaleWhat to fix first, what can wait, what is already fine, with effort and impact on each
- In writingThe mandate, agreed before the seat is takenWhich decisions the CTO owns, what they report and to whom, and the KPIs
- Yours to keepArchitecture decision records and roadmap docsYour next technical leader inherits the reasoning, not just the code
06Stack
Stacks our engineering work spans
Our engineering and technical review experience spans these stacks. We match the proposed CTO's own experience to your systems.
JavaScript
ASP.NET
Java
PHP
Yii2
MS SQL
MySQL
AWS
Azure
Heroku07Engagement
How you engage us, and how you pay
We agree leadership availability and reporting before quoting the engagement. There is no minimum engagement period.
A recurring fractional seat
Recurring mandateA fractional CTO leads the selected technical decisions on an agreed recurring cadence. You provide priorities and a sponsor; we agree reporting, availability and the team's working practices.
- Best when
- You want recurring technical leadership for continuing decisions
- You pay
- Billed hourly, quoted per project
- Typical start
- Two to four weeks
One interim milestone
Scoped mandateAn interim CTO leads a defined milestone or transition. We agree its completion criteria and handover with your sponsor, including the decisions and approvals the work needs.
- Best when
- You want leadership for a defined milestone or transition
- You pay
- Outcome based, quoted per project
- Typical start
- Two to four weeks
The CTO and a team to execute
Lead and buildAdd an engineering team when you want us to implement the agreed roadmap. We define the CTO's leadership responsibilities and the team's delivery scope together; your existing team can remain part of the work.
- Best when
- You want technical leadership and implementation under an agreed responsibility map
- You pay
- Billed monthly, per team member
- Typical start
- Two to four weeks
The assessment stands on its own, and the seat is a separate decision
A scoped assessment gives your current technical leader a written view of the architecture, delivery process or vendor choices. You can commission that review on its own, then decide whether ongoing CTO leadership is useful.
08Industries
Industries behind our technical experience
We provide CTO consulting for startups and established businesses in the industries below, drawing on our software engineering work. Your mandate applies that experience to the systems and decisions you select.
Logistics and transportation
Order management, warehouse apps and fleet tooling shape logistics architecture decisions. Our software supports inventory and inspection operations at the scale of 9M+ vehicles for a leader in US finished-vehicle logistics.
Hospitality and leisure
CTO consulting for hospitality and entertainment addresses booking, membership and venue systems. Our engineering experience includes a rental platform built for a Santa Barbara paddle-sports center.
Fintech and financial advisory
Payment flows and accounting integrations need clear data and system responsibilities. Our engineering work includes bookkeeping automation for a UK advisory firm.
Healthcare
Monitoring platforms and clinical integrations require architecture decisions grounded in data handling and operating requirements. Our engineering experience includes a home health monitoring platform we stabilized and prepared for future growth.
E-commerce
Storefront, ERP and marketplace integrations connect commerce architecture to stock and order workflows. Our work includes a European manufacturer selling across seven countries.
EdTech and learning
Learning platforms and research tools need clear ownership of data and workflows. Our engineering experience includes a time-tracking tool for a research university.
Define the technical leadership you want to delegate
Tell us which technical decisions you want to delegate and what your sponsor will retain. We scope a recurring fractional mandate, an interim milestone or an assessment, then agree the next purchase.
What happens after you contact us
- We reply within one business dayWe respond to the leadership goal you describe and identify the context needed for scoping.
- A scoping callWe discuss the decisions, current team and working cadence, then identify the leadership or assessment scope.
- A written mandateWe record delegated decisions, reporting and sponsor approvals, alongside the selected outputs and acceptance criteria.
- An NDA, then a start dateWe sign an NDA before access and confirm the proposed start date with you.
09Delivery
How a CTO engagement works
Plan your sponsor's involvement around delegated CTO decisions and the approvals your company retains.
- Scoping callShare the technical goal and the leadership you want to delegate. You bring the sponsor and the people who know the system; we identify the assessment and proposed responsibilities.You getAn agreed initial scope, an NDA before access, and proposed acceptance criteria.
- AssessmentWe review the selected architecture, data flows and delivery process with your engineers and product owners. Assessments use read-only, least-privilege access agreed with your technical contact before anything starts.You getA written assessment of the agreed technical scope, with priorities and the reasoning behind them.
- Plan and mandateWe turn the findings into a technology roadmap and agree which decisions the CTO leads. Your sponsor approves the mandate, including reporting, escalation and the availability needed for the work.You getA prioritized roadmap and written mandate covering delegated decisions, approvals and agreed measures.
- Lead and buildThe CTO leads the delegated work with your engineering and product leads, using the agreed reporting cadence. You provide the implementation permissions and sponsor approvals it needs. If you add a unicrew engineering team, its scope and responsibilities are agreed separately.You getRecorded technical decisions and roadmap progress, plus implementation within any agreed engineering scope.
- HandoverWe maintain the selected decision records and roadmap rationale as the work progresses. You name the receiving leader; we agree the transition arrangements and review the handover against the mandate.You getThe agreed transition documents and handover, accepted against the engagement terms.
10Client voices
Our clients say
They’ve been helping us grow our platform together since the beginning, from a couple hundred companies to around 2,000. Artelogic has been front and center in this process.
Up until a year and a half ago, I handled all the development and support of our application myself and I needed help. I brought in Artelogic, and it was one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made.
Single point of contact. Very clear in communications and finding solutions as a team. Flexible when requirements changed. They deliver in a highly professional way while being in a volatile and insecure situation.
The quality of their coding was outstanding to our standards. Overall, their work was key for us. They were dedicated to solving our problems as a customer; their team was collaborative, listened to us, and fully engaged in our space to commit to the project.
We scoped out the workflow for the platform. Using this foundation, Artelogic’s executing our requirements and developing the platform. Artelogic executed flawlessly according to our plan thus far. Their work ethic is impressive.
Artelogic has enabled us to develop and roll out products significantly faster than our previous service provider. The team has great knowledge of AWS and Heroku, which has helped us streamline and reduce costs. Artelogic has helped us reduce our AWS costs by 30% or more.
The Artelogic team finished the project on time and within budget. Their work was of excellent quality, making the cost justified. I was impressed when I learned that despite having a small team, they could cater to our needs and provide a comprehensive solution. Artelogic has been delivering excellent value for our investment.
However, from a technical perspective, actor-based frameworks and event sourcing aren’t widely adopted areas of expertise yet. Still, Artelogic has been able to learn them very quickly and effectively. Moreover, they’ve been able to stabilize our whole application and rapidly iterate on the existing code base to get it to a much better state than it was 12 months ago.
11Case studies
Senior technical judgment in production
Our case studies show the engineering behind platform refactors and cloud changes. The Solus Connect database redesign and Crik-IT Azure migration are linked in the proof section. unicrew was formerly Artelogic, the name used in older client reviews.
See all case studies
SaaSWaiverKing: Software Development for a Waiver Form CreatorWaiverKing is a document management business serving primarily the health and fitness industries. The platform integrates with Mindbody Online, one of the largest business-systems providers for gyms and yoga studios.Weeks to hoursTime to release an update to production- SaaSAWS costs down 30%+ for a US B2B SaaS platformunicrew became the programming team for a B2B SaaS platform that had run for over a decade, streamlined how it used AWS and Heroku, and sped up rollouts.30%+Lower AWS costs
LeisureSaaS modernization for a paddle sports center in CaliforniaA kayaking and paddleboard rental business in the Santa Barbara area wanted one system for equipment, customers, time and billing. That system is Adventure Rental System.15-20%Increase in revenue
12Questions
About CTO consulting with unicrew
Before appointing a CTO consulting partner, settle the mandate, cadence, commercial terms and transition arrangements.
CTO as a Service describes how technical leadership is provided; fractional and interim CTO describe the cadence or purpose of the role.
- A fractional CTO leads selected work on a recurring cadence alongside your team.
- An interim CTO leads a defined transition or milestone, with completion and handover agreed.
Each model needs a written mandate. Our fractional versus in-house CTO guide explains that leadership choice.
A CTO consulting engagement delivers the outputs selected in your mandate, with acceptance criteria agreed before the work begins.
- A technology roadmap and architecture decision records for the work in scope.
- Team or vendor assessment, or documentation for technical due diligence, when selected.
- Transition material for the leader receiving the work.
An AI readiness assessment can be a separately selected input to the roadmap.
We quote CTO consulting after agreeing the leadership scope, availability and any engineering work.
The billing model follows the purchase:
- Time and materials: billed hourly, quoted per project.
- Fixed price: outcome based, quoted per project.
- Team extension: billed monthly per team member.
System complexity and the selected responsibilities affect the quote. We settle the commercial terms with you before work starts.
The duration follows the agreed mandate. There is no minimum engagement period.
A fractional CTO supports recurring decisions; an interim CTO works toward a defined milestone or transition. A scoped assessment can be commissioned on its own. We agree cadence, completion and handover with you.
Most engagements start within two to four weeks.
We confirm the proposed CTO's location, availability and working-hour overlap in the proposal.
Meeting cadence and reporting are agreed around your team and sponsor. The work uses the collaboration tools and system access selected for the mandate. The location of the assigned leader and any engineering team is part of that scoping conversation.
Yes. A fractional CTO can lead selected technical work across your existing systems and vendors.
We map the dependencies and responsibilities before agreeing changes, as in our Azure migration engagement covering infrastructure assessment and planning for a Microsoft-stack CRM platform we developed and maintained. Your mandate defines the CTO's role in vendor decisions; contract and commercial approvals stay with your sponsor unless separately delegated.
Yes. A fractional CTO can prepare selected technical due diligence materials and support your responses to investor questions.
We agree the documentation and technical concerns in scope with you. This is preparation on your side of the review; the investor retains its assessment and financing decision. Our work with startups and technical due diligence guide explain the related work.
Compare the proposed leader's relevant experience, delegated responsibilities and working cadence, then check the evidence behind the firm's delivery claims.
With unicrew, you agree the written mandate and sponsor approvals before leadership begins. Engineering execution is optional. We hold ISO 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015 certifications, renewed through a multi-stage audit with Quay Audit UK; these are organizational credentials. The client reviews on this page link to their Clutch sources, including this review.
We match the proposed CTO's technical experience to the architecture and leadership work in your mandate.
The scoping discussion covers relevant systems, decisions and delivery experience. Our case studies demonstrate company engineering experience; we discuss the proposed leader's own background separately. That lets you assess the person against the responsibilities you intend to delegate.
We can also deliver the engineering work, so you should assess our recommendations with that commercial interest in view.
The assessment records the options, assumptions and reasons for the recommended changes. You retain the implementation decision and can commission the assessment on its own. Any subsequent build has a separately agreed scope and approval.
CTO consulting adds leadership responsibility for the technical decisions you delegate. Technology advisory evaluates options and gives recommendations for your own leadership to decide.
A CTO mandate defines reporting, approvals and the interface with your engineering team. Advisory fits when your existing leader wants expert input on a selected question. Our CTO as a Service guide explains the leadership model.
Yes. We can combine a CTO mandate with a dedicated development team and begin with a scoped architecture or delivery assessment.
Leadership and engineering are selected together when you want both. We agree the CTO's decision responsibilities and the team's implementation scope, then confirm how they work with your existing engineers. You can commission the assessment before deciding on ongoing leadership or a build.
Continuity is addressed through the records and transition arrangements agreed in your mandate.
We maintain the selected technical reasoning and roadmap context as work progresses. The agreement defines handover responsibilities and the process for a change of leader. If a different CTO consultant is proposed, we agree their role, availability and transition with you.