A fractional AI CTO for PE-backed portfolio companies.
Your value-creation plan has an AI workstream. The portfolio company doesn't have an AI owner. A fractional AI CTO closes that gap, without the cost or timeline of a full-time hire.
What the role actually does
Sequence the use cases by value, feasibility, and risk. Run vendor selection. Set architecture standards. Establish governance and reliability practices. Report sponsor-grade KPIs into the value-creation cadence. Coach the internal team toward eventual self-sufficiency, if and when that's the plan.
Who it's for
PE-backed home services platforms and portfolio companies running 5 to 100 brands with no internal AI owner. Often the platform CIO is already at capacity on integration and infrastructure work, and AI keeps slipping. A fractional AI CTO gives the workstream a named owner the sponsor can hold accountable.
How it works
Six-month minimum engagement. Starts with the AI Diagnostic so the strategy is built on a real assessment, not a vendor pitch. From there, ongoing leadership on the workstream, with monthly sponsor reporting baked in.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a fractional AI CTO?
- A part-time executive who owns the AI workstream inside a portfolio company. Strategy, sequencing, vendor selection, architecture, governance, and sponsor reporting, without the cost or hiring timeline of a full-time CTO.
- What does a fractional AI CTO cost?
- $15–25K/mo for a single operating company, $25–40K/mo at the platform level. Six-month minimum. Faster to stand up than a full-time hire, and the sponsor sees results inside one quarter.
- Why not just hire a full-time AI leader?
- You eventually might. The fractional version is faster to stand up, validates the role before the headcount is approved, and lets the sponsor see results inside one quarter.
- Does it replace the platform CIO/CTO?
- No. It complements them. The platform CIO owns the operating infrastructure; the fractional AI CTO owns the AI workstream specifically.
Related: Production AI for PE-backed home services | AI Diagnostic | AI Reliability