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.
- Is this the same as a fractional CIO or an interim CTO?
- Close, but narrower. A fractional CIO usually runs IT and infrastructure, and an interim CTO fills an empty seat over a whole technology team. This role owns the AI workstream specifically and works alongside whoever runs IT. If what you really need is an interim CTO for everything, I'll say so on the call.
- 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