Engineering Professionals: Insights & Resources

Best Fractional CTO Services in Minneapolis

Ryan Stevens

January 27, 2026

Best Fractional CTO Services in Minneapolis

Minneapolis's Best Outsourced CTO Services, Fractional CTO, & Virtual CTO Services

Minneapolis has always had a strong undercurrent of innovation. With its deep roots in healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and insurance—combined with a fast-growing SaaS, medtech, and cleantech startup scene—the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington metro is proving that world-class tech leadership doesn’t only live on the coasts.

But as more Twin Cities startups and scale-ups reach critical growth milestones, many are facing a modern challenge: how to bring in senior technical leadership without prematurely locking in a full-time CTO hire.

The answer for many? Fractional CTOs.

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Our Methodology: Minneapolis Fractional CTO, Virtual CTO Services, and Outsourced CTOs

These seasoned leaders offer strategy, execution, and credibility—without the long timelines or high cost of full-time hires. At Digital Reference, we’ve identified trusted fractional CTOs in Minneapolis who are already helping early-stage teams, founder-led orgs, and post-funding startups build platforms that work.

Each leader featured here has been selected based on the following criteria:

✅ Public positioning as a fractional, interim, or embedded CTO
✅ Active presence in the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington metro area
✅ Experience in startup, growth-stage, or transformation contexts
✅ Clear online presence via LinkedIn or firm affiliation
✅ Demonstrated alignment with Digital Reference values: trust, impact, and referenceable work

We prioritize execution, reputation, and real-world relevance.

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Meet The Best Fractional CTO, Virtual CTO, & Outsourced CTO Services in Minneapolis

Daniel Amundson

Fractional CTO | SaaS Architect | Technical Team Builder‍

Daniel partners with SaaS and enterprise tech companies to align engineering architecture with growth goals. He is often embedded during crucial phases—MVP-to-v1 transition, Series A scale, or team restructures—and is valued for translating high-level vision into platform realities.

💡 Why they stand out as a Fractional CTO:
✨ Expert at SaaS scaling and DevOps integration
⚡ Guides early-stage teams through technical restructuring
🎯 Bridges technical and non-technical founder perspectives

Andrew Maurer

Fractional CTO | Data & Platform Engineer | Digital Product Strategist‍

Andrew provides full-stack leadership to fast-moving companies, designing platforms that are efficient, scalable, and customer-centric. He works across product, engineering, and business functions to bring hybrid technical strategies to growth-stage teams.

💡 Why they stand out as a Fractional CTO:
✨ Skilled in platform architecture and digital product strategy
⚡ Combines enterprise systems expertise with startup agility
🎯 Drives scalable, data-driven infrastructure decisions

Lyndon Carlson

Fractional CTO | AI Consultant | Scaling Agentic AI Across Finance & EdTech

‍Lyndon designs and deploys intelligent systems for education, finance, and government. He specializes in multi-agent AI, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and voice-based AI systems. As co-founder of ChatLPO, he built an AI-powered education platform supporting 300,000+ users.

💡 Why they stand out as a Fractional CTO:
✨ Expertise in AI architecture, LLM integration, and agentic systems
⚡ Led 0→1 product development with cloud-native pipelines
🎯 Strong focus on scalable, secure, and user-centered AI platforms

Jared Lukes

VP of AI | UX Leader | Fractional CTO

‍Jared helps teams move faster by combining AI strategy, UX leadership, and fractional CTO guidance. He specializes in building high-performance teams, architecting AI systems, and bringing complex visions to market.

💡 Why they stand out as a Fractional CTO:
✨ Hands-on AI strategy and execution for high-impact products
⚡ Expert at scaling teams and product operations simultaneously
🎯 Blends unconventional thinking with strategic delivery insights

Why Twin Cities Companies Are Hiring Fractional CTOs

The Midwest is known for building real businesses—not hype machines. But even real businesses need tech leadership that can move fast, scale smart, and keep teams aligned. In the Minneapolis area, we’re seeing increased demand for fractional CTOs in situations like:

🏗️ Startups going from MVP to scale and needing real architectural support
🧠 Non-technical founders looking for a tech partner (not just a vendor)
🔁 Companies replacing overseas dev shops with internal teams
📈 Teams prepping for funding and needing technical clarity
🔍 PE-backed orgs needing tech transformation post-acquisition

Fractional CTOs bring structure without the overhead, and vision without the delay.

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What These Minneapolis Fractional CTOs Bring to the Table

Leaders like Andrew and Daniel are trusted because they bring:

✅ Cross-functional fluency—product, engineering, operations
✅ Ability to lead while building (not just delegating)
✅ Founder empathy—especially for non-technical or first-time CEOs
✅ Engineering team mentorship and recruitment insight
✅ A calm, strategic approach to fast-paced environments

They’re not just steering—they’re accelerating in the right direction.

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‍Resources from Digital Reference

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📍 Find Local Fractional CTOs & Chief Technology Officers Near Me
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

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Final Word: Minneapolis Is Quietly Building the Future—One Scalable Platform at a Time

You don’t have to be flashy to lead the market. In fact, some of the most effective innovation is happening quietly in the Twin Cities—driven by companies that are smart enough to hire tech leadership when it’s needed, and flexible enough to do it on their own terms.

Fractional CTOs are already leading this movement. They're helping teams: