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Top Outsourced CTO Agencies in the USA in 2025
Best Fractional & Part-time CTO Services in the United States
As technology becomes the backbone of nearly every business operation—from infrastructure and cybersecurity to digital transformation and product development—the demand for seasoned technology leadership has never been higher. But for startups, mid-sized firms, and even enterprise ventures entering periods of transition or rapid growth, hiring a full-time Chief Technology Officer (CTO) may not be financially feasible or operationally necessary.
Enter the fractional CTO: a flexible, part-time, or project-based executive who brings top-tier technology expertise without the full-time commitment. Whether guiding digital strategy, leading a tech team, or driving product innovation, fractional CTOs offer companies the opportunity to scale smartly with strategic technology leadership.
At Digital Reference, we are committed to making the talent ecosystem more efficient, transparent, and authentic. That’s why we've curated a comprehensive list of the top outsourced CTO providers in the United States, based on verified research, client success stories, and regional availability.
Our Methodology - US Part-time CTOs & Fractional CTO Services
To compile this list, we evaluated:
- Depth of technical leadership experience
- Availability and active operations in the U.S. market
- Range of services (e.g., advisory, team management, architecture, product dev)
- Industry specialization (e.g., SaaS, healthcare, fintech, etc.)
- Client testimonials, case studies, and demonstrated business impact
Cloud Elephants
Overview
Cloud Elephants is a U.S.-based technology consultancy specializing in outsourced and fractional CTO services. They partner with emerging and mid-market companies—particularly in InsurTech, PropTech, and data-driven SaaS—to deliver strategic tech leadership without the full-time executive cost. Their model blends flexible CTO guidance with hands-on implementation, ensuring that technology strategy stays aligned with business goals.
Why They Stand Out
- Scalable, flexible engagement: Acting as a true fractional CTO, they adapt their involvement to each client’s evolving needs—tactical enough to drive immediate results, strategic enough to chart long-term roadmaps. This balance helps clients avoid tech misfires and pivot rapidly.
- Efficiency & customer impact: Their recent LinkedIn insights emphasize measurable results: reducing tech pain, boosting operational efficiency, and improving customer experience through tailored outsourced CTO support.
- Innovation-driven: Cloud Elephants positions outsourced CTO as a powerful lever for innovation—"a flexible, cost-effective way to keep your business on the cutting edge"
Meet Cloud Elephant's Founder: Ryan Hurst
Ryan B. Hurst is the driving force behind Cloud Elephants’ vision and execution, serving as Fractional CTO. With deep roots in InsurTech and PropTech, he brings a data-first, human-centered lens to leadership.
Under Hurst’s leadership, clients benefit from:
- Strategic foresight: crafting scalable architecture and data roadmaps that balance technical depth with real-world constraints
- AI and data-forward thinking: embedding analytics and AI into product and operational design
- Hands-on mentorship: guiding engineering teams in adopting best practices and modern contracting/project workflows
Ideal Client Fit
- Startups or scale-ups in regulated verticals (e.g., InsurTech, PropTech) needing leadership in security, governance, and architecting compliance-ready systems
- Growing tech firms seeking CTO-level strategy without full-time overhead
- Companies entering AI/data maturity phases, needing a structured but flexible roadmap
The Runge Group
About:
The Runge Group is a boutique technology and product advisory firm based in Las Vegas that delivers high-touch CTO-level guidance to early-stage startups and innovation-driven organizations. Founded by seasoned technologist Jonathan (Yoni) Runge, the firm is known for its strategic leadership in scaling software platforms, guiding technical architecture, and aligning product development with business outcomes.
Operating at the intersection of product vision and engineering execution, The Runge Group supports clients ranging from seed-stage startups to funded scaleups seeking fractional technology leadership without the overhead of a full-time executive.
Why they stand out as a Fractional CTO agency:
- Founder-led expertise: With decades of experience across startups and growth-stage tech, Yoni Runge offers deep, founder-aligned technical mentorship.
- Product-centric approach: They bring a uniquely integrated view of product and engineering, ensuring that tech investments drive real customer and business value.
- Scalable engagements: From platform audits to full-stack rebuilds, The Runge Group flexibly adapts to client needs, often serving as interim or fractional CTO during critical growth moments.
Fortium Partners
Website: https://www.fortiumpartners.com/cto
Fortium Partners is known for its high-level executive IT leadership, including CTOs and CIOs. Their fractional CTOs are matched with clients based on industry, size, and complexity.
Why They Stand Out:
- 150+ partners with former Fortune 500 experience
- Focus on digital transformation and enterprise architecture
- Strong presence in healthcare, education, and fintech
ChaceTech
Website: https://www.chacetech.com/fractional-cto-services/
ChaceTech offers fractional CTO services geared toward early-stage companies and mid-size firms undergoing digital growth. Their approach includes tech strategy, systems integration, and leadership coaching.
Why They Stand Out:
- Strong startup and scale-up orientation
- Holistic tech advisory model
- Deep focus on aligning tech and business strategy
SeeSaw Labs
Website: https://seesawlabs.com/cto-services/
SeeSaw Labs provides fractional CTO support through a product and engineering lens. Their clients range from healthcare innovators to SaaS companies seeking rapid product development.
Why They Stand Out:
- Product-first philosophy with emphasis on UX, architecture, and velocity
- Experts in MVP development, scaling apps, and agile management
- Based in Austin, with national service reach
F2 Strategy
Website: https://www.f2strategy.com/octo
F2 Strategy specializes in outsourced Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO) roles for wealth and asset management firms. Their Outsourced CTO (OCTO) service provides tech roadmaps, vendor selection, and implementation oversight.
Why They Stand Out:
- Deep experience in the financial services sector
- Emphasis on ROI-driven tech transformation
- Multi-disciplinary approach including cybersecurity and operations
Hofbauer Consulting
Website: https://hofbauerconsulting.com/fractional-cto/
Led by industry veteran Peter Hofbauer, this boutique firm offers bespoke fractional CTO and advisory services for SMBs and mid-sized firms.
Why They Stand Out:
- Personalized engagement model
- Specialization in modernizing legacy systems
- CTO services available both remotely and onsite
Crucial Point LLC
Website: https://crucialpointllc.com/services/cto-advisory-services/cto-outsourcing-cto-service/
Crucial Point LLC delivers fractional CTO services through a cybersecurity and national defense lens. They are uniquely positioned to support clients in high-security and compliance-heavy sectors.
Why They Stand Out:
- National security and federal systems experience
- Cyber and cloud strategy consulting
- High trust for firms handling sensitive data
Octaria
Website: https://www.octaria.com/services/fractional-cto-services
Octaria is a technology development and advisory firm based in Houston, TX. Their fractional CTO services focus on startup support, product architecture, and technical team oversight.
Why They Stand Out:
- Strong developer and engineering management backbone
- Start-to-scale tech leadership
- Integration with software development teams
Mavericks Office Solutions Inc.
Website: https://www.mavericksofficesolutions.com/fractional-cto
Mavericks provides CTO services for non-technical founders and SMBs that need guidance with vendor management, architecture design, and product scaling.
Why They Stand Out:
- Great fit for early-stage or bootstrapped companies
- Emphasis on vendor negotiation and tech ROI
- Personalized, non-corporate approach
Transform Labs
Website: https://www.transformlabs.com/blog/technology-advising-and-fractional-cto-fractional-cio-service
Transform Labs offers technology advisory services including fractional CTOs and CIOs. Their experience includes AI, product strategy, and digital transformation.
Why They Stand Out:
- Innovation-focused, especially in AI and automation
- Emphasis on technical architecture and roadmap development
- Strong fit for digital product companies and innovation labs
techCXO
Website: https://www.techcxo.com/fractional-cto-services/
techCXO is one of the most established fractional executive service providers in the U.S., offering CTO, CFO, CMO, and COO roles on demand. Their fractional CTOs bring deep experience in tech strategy, development, and scalability across startups and enterprise clients.
Why They Stand Out:
- Trusted by over 3,000 growth-stage companies
- Expertise in scaling tech teams, fundraising support, and product lifecycle management
- Proven leadership in SaaS, eCommerce, and healthtech
CTOx
Website: https://ctox.com/
CTOx is dedicated exclusively to CTO-as-a-Service engagements, offering short-term and long-term leadership for scaling tech organizations.
Why They Stand Out:
- 100% focus on CTO services
- Portfolio of engagements from seed-stage to enterprise
- Comprehensive tech org assessment and transformation playbooks
aNetworks
Website: https://www.anetworks.com/locations/new-york-city-ny/offerings/services/fractional-cto-services/
aNetworks is a managed IT service provider that also offers fractional CTO support. Their CTOs focus on bridging the gap between IT operations and strategic growth.
Why They Stand Out:
- Hands-on IT and infrastructure support
- Available to clients in heavily regulated industries
- Localized support for New York and Northeast-based companies
AlphaRay Consulting – Shawn Jahromi
Website: https://www.alpharayconsulting.com/fractional-cto
AlphaRay Consulting is led by Shawn Jahromi, a veteran CTO and technology strategist who provides hands-on fractional CTO leadership to venture-backed startups.
Why They Stand Out:
- C-suite experience in venture-backed and enterprise companies
- Focus on early tech stack decisions, hiring, and roadmap alignment
- One-on-one fractional leadership with execution support
Stratify IT
Website: https://www.stratifyit.tech/virtual-chief-technology-officer
Stratify IT delivers Virtual CTO services for startups, agencies, and SMBs. Their team focuses on process automation, cloud solutions, and scaling architecture.
Why They Stand Out:
- Emphasis on workflow automation and process improvement
- Scalable team for hands-on technology delivery
- Ideal for non-tech founders looking for clarity and control
Pernix Technology Group
Website: https://pernixtg.com/fractional-cto-service
Pernix offers strategic CTO services to mid-market companies and institutions that require advisory, development team management, and roadmap planning.
Why They Stand Out:
- CTOs with deep product and IT management experience
- Available for retainer, project-based, or interim engagements
- Alignment between business outcomes and tech planning
Sourcetoad
Website: https://sourcetoad.com/fractional-cto/
Sourcetoad is a software development firm with dedicated fractional CTO support, especially for companies in hospitality, cruise, and maritime technology sectors.
Why They Stand Out:
- Industry-specific software experience
- Embedded CTOs with deep project management skill
- Strong focus on legacy modernization and systems integration
Text Connects
Website: https://textconnects.com/pages/fractional-cto
Text Connects provides fractional CTO services for startups, nonprofits, and small businesses looking to align their digital infrastructure with their mission.
Why They Stand Out:
- Ideal for values-driven and impact-focused organizations
- Personalized guidance with technology vetting and roadmap development
- Good fit for budget-conscious companies
Lit AI
Overview
Lit AI is a U.S.-based consultancy offering fractional CTO and technical advisory services for companies navigating AI and machine learning transformation. Their professional services arm partners with growth-stage ventures and enterprise teams to build scalable ML infrastructure, operationalize responsible AI, and align data strategies with evolving product demands. Lit AI’s fractional model ensures clients get seasoned technical guidance without the commitment of a full-time hire—especially valuable in AI-driven innovation cycles.
Why They Stand Out
- ML-native strategy: Lit AI stands apart for its engineering-native approach to product development. Benjamin and his team bridge the gap between experimental ML models and production-ready systems with infrastructure that scales.
- AI you can trust: From model explainability to data pipeline governance, Lit AI helps clients build systems that are not only powerful, but also compliant and transparent—key for enterprise adoption.
- Built for velocity and rigor: Whether advising on infrastructure, tooling, or roadmap prioritization, Lit AI focuses on building fast without breaking foundations. They bring discipline to experimentation and structure to scaling.
Meet Lit AI's Co-Founder: Benjamin V.
Benjamin V. is the technical architect behind Lit AI’s professional services practice and a go-to expert for companies looking to integrate AI at scale. With a background in applied ML and infrastructure design, he brings both systems-level thinking and hands-on technical leadership.
Under Benjamin’s direction, clients benefit from:
- AI fluency at the leadership level: translating complex ML opportunities into business-aligned execution plans
- Infrastructure that works: deploying pipelines, tooling, and workflows that accelerate ML velocity without sacrificing governance
- A principled approach to innovation: championing transparency, reliability, and human oversight in every AI engagement
Overview
Joshua D. Whitley is a U.S.-based fractional CTO and startup technologist who partners with early- and growth-stage companies to turn ideas into scalable, secure, investor-ready platforms. Through his consultancy, he delivers founder-level strategy combined with deep technical execution—often acting as both architect and interim team lead. With a background spanning fintech, healthcare, and B2B SaaS, Joshua supports teams through key inflection points, from MVP to scale.
Why He Stands Out
- Full-stack founder mindset: As a technical founder himself, Joshua brings empathy to the build process—he’s been in the trenches. He helps teams avoid the “rewrite trap” by designing infrastructure that scales with real-world usage and customer needs.
- Speed with structure: Known for accelerating startup velocity, he builds lightweight but resilient tech stacks that support agile development without sacrificing long-term maintainability or security.
- Team-first leadership: Joshua doesn’t just advise—he rolls up his sleeves. He often mentors in-house developers, implements dev workflows, and helps leadership teams align on product and engineering roadmaps.
Meet Joshua D. Whitley
Joshua D. Whitley is a trusted strategic partner for startups navigating the early chaos of product development and growth. He draws from two decades of hands-on engineering and leadership experience to help companies go from pitch deck to product-market fit.
Under his guidance, clients gain:
- Technical clarity: sound architecture decisions rooted in scale, compliance, and rapid iteration
- Executional excellence: shipping products that are investor-ready, secure, and customer-focused
- Cross-functional fluency: bridging founders, investors, and engineering teams with clarity and alignment
Ideal Client Fit
- Seed to Series B startups needing a strategic technologist who can lead both roadmap and execution
- Founders looking to transition from outsourced dev shops to in-house capability
- Growth-stage SaaS or healthcare ventures requiring a security-aware CTO to support scaling, audits, or fundraising
Final Thoughts from Digital Reference
The demand for flexible, cost-effective, and experienced technology leadership is only growing. Fractional CTOs are helping companies bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be—without compromising on innovation, security, or scale.
From product strategy and cloud architecture to team mentoring and vendor selection, these U.S.-based providers offer the technical insight and leadership muscle your business needs—when and how you need it.
Global & Country-Level Directories of Fractional CTO Services
Explore Our City Spotlights of of Part-time & Fractional CTOs in the USA
Ann Arbor - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Ann Arbor Making Things Happen
Atlanta - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Atlanta Making Things Happen
Austin - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Austin Making Things Happen
Boston - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Boston Making Things Happen
Charlotte - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Charlotte Making Things Happen
Chicago - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Chicago Making Things Happen
Dallas–Fort Worth - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Dallas–Fort Worth Making Things Happen
Denver - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Denver Making Things Happen
Detroit - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Detroit Making Things Happen
Houston - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Houston Making Things Happen
Jacksonville - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Jacksonville Making Things Happen
Las Vegas - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Las Vegas Making Things Happen
Los Angeles - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Los Angeles Making Things Happen
Miami - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Miami Making Things Happen
Minneapolis - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Minneapolis Making Things Happen
Nashville - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Nashville Making Things Happen
Naples - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Naples Making Things Happen
New York City- Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in New York City Making Things Happen
Orlando - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Orlando Making Things Happen
Phoenix - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Phoenix Making Things Happen
Pittsburgh - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Pittsburgh Making Things Happen
Portland - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Portland Making Things Happen
Raleigh–Durham - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Raleigh–Durham Making Things Happen
Sacramento - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Sacramento Making Things Happen
Salt Lake City - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Salt Lake City Making Things Happen
San Antonio - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in San Antonio Making Things Happen
San Diego - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in San Diego Making Things Happen
San Francisco- Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in San Francisco Making Things Happen
Seattle - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Seattle Making Things Happen
St. Louis - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in St. Louis Making Things Happen
Tampa - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Tampa Making Things Happen
Washington DC - Virtual CTOs & Outsourced CTO Services
Fractional CTOs in Washington DC Making Things Happen
🇬🇧 United Kingdom – City Spotlights of Fractional CTOs
London - Part-Time, Fractional, & Virtual CTOs
Fractional CTOs in London Making Things Happen
🇨🇦 Canada – City Spotlights of Fractional CTOs
Toronto- Part-Time, Fractional, & Virtual CTOs
Fractional CTOs in Toronto Making Things Happen
At Digital Reference, we believe the future of leadership is modular, mission-aligned, and radically transparent. This guide is designed to help you find the right-fit CTO support to drive your next wave of growth.
– The Digital Reference Team
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