A lone figure on a rooftop looking out over the misty Toronto skyline

// FRACTIONAL CTO & CIO · UPDATED JULY 2026

Senior technology leadership, a few days a month

You don't need a $250k executive to make sound technology decisions. You need someone who's made them before. We act as your fractional CTO or CIO: the roadmap, the budget, the vendors, the security calls. You run the business.

// THE ROLE

What a fractional CTO is

A fractional CTO is a senior technology executive you hire part time, typically a few days a month. Same judgment, same accountability, a fraction of the cost. You get someone who owns the technology direction: what to build or buy, what to spend, which vendors to trust, and what risk you're actually carrying.

It fits businesses that have outgrown "the IT guy handles it" but can't justify a full-time executive. Which, in practice, is most companies between ten and two hundred people.

// CTO OR CIO

CTO or CIO: which one do you need?

Short version: a CTO builds, a CIO runs. The CTO side leads product and engineering decisions; the CIO (or vCIO) side owns internal systems, IT budget, vendors, security, and compliance.

At your size you almost certainly need one person wearing both hats, not two executives. That's the service. We cover the full technology brief and flex toward whichever side your quarter demands.

// MONEY

How much does a fractional CTO cost in Toronto?

A full-time CTO in Toronto costs $250,000 a year or more once you count salary, bonus, and equity. A fractional CTO covers the same decisions in one to four days a month for a fixed monthly fee, so you're buying roughly a tenth to a fifth of the hours, and only for as long as you need them.

Every engagement is quoted up front after a free consultation and a review of what you run today. No long lock-in. Scale up through a migration, down when things are steady.

// THE BRIEF

What you get

A technology roadmap tied to your business plan, not a wishlist
An IT budget you can defend, with the fat trimmed
Vendor and contract management; we hold them to their SLAs
Security posture and compliance, to a healthcare-grade standard
An AI strategy that's grounded in what your data can support
Hiring help: interviews, team reviews, and honest read-outs
An executive desk by a rain-streaked window, the city dimming outside
// THE OFFICE, RUN CALMLY

// HOW IT WORKS

An engagement that fits, then flexes

Start with a review
We audit what you run, what it costs, and where the risk sits. You get the findings whether we continue or not.
A steady cadence
One to four days a month, a standing exec check-in, and someone to call before you sign anything technical.
Scale up or down
Heavier through a migration or audit, lighter when things are steady. No long lock-in.

// WHO IT'S FOR

Built for the in-between stage

Growing businesses from ten to two hundred staff. Founders who keep getting pulled into IT decisions they shouldn't have to make. Clinics and care providers facing privacy obligations that outgrew their setup. Companies mid-migration, mid-audit, or mid-"our provider quotes us for everything and we can't tell what's real".

And when the roadmap says build, we build: AI automation, customer-facing AI, custom software, and the IT, cloud and security underneath. One accountable firm, no spec handoffs. Need a project-scoped engagement instead? Start with AI consulting.

// QUICK ANSWERS

Good questions, honest answers

What is a fractional CTO?

A senior technology executive you hire part time, typically a few days a month. You get the judgment and direction of a CTO (roadmap, architecture, vendors, security, hiring) without a full-time executive salary.

What's the difference between a fractional CTO and a fractional CIO?

A CTO builds; a CIO runs. A fractional CTO leads product and engineering decisions: what to build, how, and with whom. A fractional CIO (or vCIO) owns internal systems: IT budget, vendors, security, and operations. Most businesses under 200 staff need one person wearing both hats, which is exactly what we do.

How much does a fractional CTO cost?

A fraction of a full-time hire. A CTO salary in Toronto runs $250,000 a year or more once you count bonus and equity; a fractional engagement is a fixed monthly fee for one to four days a month, roughly a tenth to a fifth of the hours, and you can scale it up or down. The first consultation is free.

How many hours a month do we get?

Whatever the work demands, agreed up front. Typical engagements run one to four days a month, heavier during a migration, an audit, or a product push, lighter once things are steady.

Do you replace our IT provider or dev team?

No. We lead them. A fractional CTO gives your existing provider and developers clear direction, holds vendors to their contracts, and reports to you in plain English.

Can you build as well as advise?

Yes. When the roadmap calls for AI automation, customer-facing AI, or custom software, the same firm builds it. You're not paying an advisor to write specs for someone else.

Get a CTO's read on your setup

Book a free consultation. Bring your invoices, your vendor contracts, or just your doubts. You'll leave knowing where you stand.