A hands-on fractional CTO for pre-seed to Series A startups.
Mayur Kale is a fractional CTO based in London who works with pre-seed to Series A startups. He owns product, engineering, and delivery end-to-end — writing production code, leading the team, and reporting to the board — without the £150k–£200k cost of a full-time CTO.
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is a senior engineering leader who owns a startup's technical direction on a part-time basis — typically one to two days a week. It gives founders the same accountability as a full-time CTO — architecture, hiring, and a technical voice for the board and investors — at a fraction of the cost.
Unlike a technical advisor, who offers a few hours of guidance, or a consultant, who delivers a scoped project and leaves, a fractional CTO is embedded and accountable for outcomes. Mayur Kale doesn't just advise — he builds, hires, and ships alongside the team.
What I do as your fractional CTO
Senior technical leadership across the areas a scaling startup actually needs — owned, not just advised on.
Fractional CTO Leadership
Embedded as your part-time CTO. Own technical direction, unblock the team, and report into the board.
Fundraising & Deal Support
Pre-seed to seed fundraising from the founder's side of the table. Legal, financial, and technical workstreams run in parallel — so you close faster and cleaner.
Product Management
Ship the right features at the right time. Roadmaps tied to real user outcomes, not founder instinct.
Full-Stack Engineering
Hands-on code, not just strategy. I ship features, unblock PRs, and pair with your team when it matters.
Architecture & DevOps
Design systems that survive the next order of magnitude. Set up the infra, CI/CD, and cost controls once — properly.
DevOps & Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud-agnostic infrastructure-as-code from day one. Terraform-driven environments, repeatable pipelines, no lock-in regret in year two.
Who I work with
I work with pre-seed to Series A startups, usually with 2–15 engineers — or none hired yet. The fit is strongest when the founder isn't deeply technical, a fundraise is on the horizon, or the first engineering hires are about to define velocity for the next two years. If you're post-Series B and need someone in the building full-time, I'll tell you on the call.
Recent work
A sample of what "hands-on" looks like in practice.
Bidwise AI
AI eSourcing platform for UK public-sector procurement — prototype to production, founding team hired, pre-seed closed.
Global electronics & healthcare manufacturer
Explainable inventory-allocation engine — a transparent linear program that splits factory output across distribution centers at lowest landed cost.
Satellite company
Corporate + investor-relations website — CMS-driven, internationalized across 10 locales, with 3D/WebGL brand experiences.
A specialist for hard enterprise problems
Not every engagement is a fractional CTO role. Larger companies and Fortune 500 enterprises bring me in as the specialist on a specific, high-stakes problem — from an explainable supply-chain optimization engine to a data platform or a production AI/ML feature. Deep in software engineering, data engineering, and AI/ML — hands-on, and accountable for shipping the thing that actually works.
Frequently asked.
What does a fractional CTO actually do?
A fractional CTO is a senior engineering leader who owns your technical direction part-time. In practice I set architecture and the technical roadmap, lead and hire the engineering team, act as the technical counterparty for the board and investors, and stay hands-on in the codebase. It's the same accountability as a full-time CTO — outcomes, not hours — at 1–2 days per week. I work with pre-seed to Series A startups.
How much does a fractional CTO cost in the UK?
Fractional CTOs in the UK typically run from roughly £800–£1,500 per day, or £4k–£12k per month depending on days per week and scope — a fraction of the £150k–£200k+ all-in cost of a full-time CTO. I don't publish a fixed rate because it depends on stage, scope, and hours; the discovery call is free and I quote on the follow-up.
When should a startup hire a fractional CTO instead of a full-time one?
Hire fractional when you need senior technical leadership — architecture, hiring, a technical voice for investors — but can't yet justify or afford a full-time CTO. That's most pre-seed to Series A startups. It's ideal when you have 2–15 engineers (or none yet), a founder who isn't deeply technical, or a raise coming up. Once you're post-Series B and need someone in the building full-time, a fractional CTO is the wrong fit and I'll tell you so.
What's the difference between a fractional CTO and a technical advisor or consultant?
An advisor gives you a few hours a month of guidance and takes no ownership. A consultant delivers a scoped project and leaves. A fractional CTO is embedded and accountable: I own technical decisions, run the team, write production code, and report to the board — I don't just advise, I build. That ownership is the difference.
Do fractional CTOs write code?
I do — every week. Writing production code keeps the strategy honest: every architectural call I make, I'm also accountable for living with as a contributor on the same codebase. I ship in Java, TypeScript, Node, Python, and Solidity, and pair with the team on the hard problems.
How many clients do you take on at once?
Deliberately few. I cap concurrent engagements at 3 so every client gets real attention — not someone splitting their calendar eight ways. There are 2 slots open this quarter. Once they're filled, the next opening is typically 60–90 days out, so if you're weighing a call, book it now rather than later.
How does a fractional CTO engagement work?
I embed with your team 1–2 days per week on a fixed monthly retainer. You get senior technical leadership for a fraction of a full-time CTO's cost — typically £80k–150k saved annually.
What stage companies do you work with?
Pre-seed to Series A. Usually 2–15 engineers. If you're post-Series B and need someone full-time, I'll tell you on the discovery call.
Do you publish pricing?
No. Pricing depends on scope, stage, and hours per week. The discovery call is free and I'll quote on the follow-up.
Are you remote or on-site?
Remote-first, UK-based. I travel on-site for workshops, kickoffs, board meetings, critical hires, and any other moment where being in the room actually matters. Expenses billed at cost.
Who owns the IP of work you produce?
You do. Standard work-for-hire terms in every engagement contract — no ambiguity, no IP carve-outs.
What's the notice period?
30 days either side after the initial 2-week assessment. No long tie-ins.
Can you do one-off technical due diligence?
Yes. 5–7 day turnaround, fixed fee, written report ready for investment committee.
Do you help founders raise?
Yes — I've run full pre-seed fundraising with founders from the inside. Contracts (SeedLegals), financial modelling, investor DD, and deal negotiation. Not as a placement agent or introducer: as the technical co-founder-equivalent who owns the workstream alongside you.
Ready to scale your engineering?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. If we're not a fit, I'll tell you on the call — and point you toward someone who is.