Fractional CTO
A fractional CTO for hardware startups
Senior technical leadership for hardware founders who need it before they can afford it full time, from a serial entrepreneur who has been CTO of several startups and shipped connected hardware at scale.
Hardware needs a different kind of CTO
Most fractional CTOs come from software. Hardware adds problems a software leader hasn't lived through: component lead times, certification, manufacturing partners, firmware that must run for years with nobody nearby, and unit economics that depend on the bill of materials.
From co-founding Rocket Wagon and building connected products for Fortune 500 clients, to serving as CTO of Frost Solutions from launch, designing the hardware and shipping 1,500+ road weather stations to customers, to founding an accelerator-backed media startup and an outdoor media company, Luke Libraro has spent his career as a startup CTO.
As your fractional CTO he works part time on the decisions that shape the company: what to build, who to hire, which vendors to trust, and how to explain the technology to investors.
What you get
Scope of work
- 01
Technical roadmap
Architecture and a staged build plan tied to your funding milestones.
- 02
Build, buy or partner
What to build in-house, buy as modules, or hand to a design firm or manufacturer.
- 03
Vendor & manufacturer selection
Evaluate design firms, contract manufacturers and suppliers, and hold them accountable.
- 04
Hiring
Write the roles, interview engineers and help make your first technical hires.
- 05
Investor diligence
Technical sections of the pitch, data room and diligence calls, answered with an operator’s view.
- 06
Engineering oversight
Review contractors' and engineers' work so quality doesn't depend on trust alone.
How it works
Four phases, each with a clear exit
- 01
Assessment
Review product, team, vendors and plan; written findings and priorities.
- 02
Roadmap
An architecture and build plan the team and investors can follow.
- 03
Ongoing leadership
A regular cadence with founders and engineers on the decisions that matter.
- 04
Transition
Help hiring and onboarding a full-time CTO or VP Engineering when you are ready.
Proof
Shipped, in the field
Connected products taken from concept through production.
Rocket Wagon
Enterprise IoT Innovation
IoT innovation firm serving Fortune 500 clients including Duracell, Barnes & Noble College, and Amgen. Connected solutions deployed across 750+ retail locations.
Read the case study
Frost Solutions
Road Weather IoT Platform
Solar-powered road weather stations with cellular connectivity and real-time dashboards, deployed across 37 states and 7 provinces.
Read the case studyFit
Who this is for
A good fit
- Pre-seed to Series A hardware startups without a technical co-founder
- Founders managing an outside design firm and unsure what they are paying for
- Teams preparing for a raise that will include technical diligence
Not the right fit
- Software-only startups looking for a CTO for a web or mobile product.
Founder-led
Hands-on, start to finish.
Every project is led by Luke Libraro, hands-on from the first schematic to the factory floor to the fleet dashboard.
Luke brings 15+ years of engineering and product leadership across hardware, firmware, cloud and AI. No account managers: the person who scopes your project leads the work. We build the first web experience, from dashboards to companion web apps, alongside the device, and bring in partner teams when an app needs to scale.
- Frost SolutionsCTO from launch; designed and built the hardware
- Rocket WagonCo-founder & CTO · 2015–2023
- VisiPillHardware team lead
- Light for HopeHardware lead, at Rocket Wagon
Enclosures, in-house or with expert partners
We design your enclosure in-house or bring in expert mechanical engineering and industrial design partners, so the product is beautiful, functional and built to work in the field. Already have a design team? We work alongside them.
FAQ
Common questions
What is a fractional CTO?
A part-time chief technology officer who provides senior technical leadership on a recurring schedule, without the cost of a full-time executive. Typical work includes technical strategy, architecture, vendor and hiring decisions, and investor diligence.
When does a hardware startup need a fractional CTO?
Usually when technical decisions start to commit real money: choosing a design firm or manufacturer, freezing a design, hiring the first engineers, or raising a round that will include technical diligence.
How is a fractional CTO different from a product development firm?
A product development firm builds what you specify. A fractional CTO helps decide what to build, who should build it, and whether the work is on track. Farad Labs can do either, and is clear about which role it is playing.
Do you work with startups outside Richmond?
Yes. We work remotely with founders across the US and travel for planning sessions, manufacturer visits and key builds.
Related
Related services
Electronics & IoT Prototyping
Proof-of-concept builds and functional prototypes on custom PCBs, with real firmware and connectivity.
Prototype to Production
Design for manufacturing, validation builds, factory test and the handoff to your contract manufacturer.
IoT Development & Consulting
Device, connectivity and cloud built as one system, plus architecture reviews before you commit.
Tell us what you’re building.
A short call is usually enough to know whether we’re the right fit, and what the first phase should prove.
hello@farad.dev