Oriol López

Freelance fractional CTO

I help small and growing businesses fix their IT, cut the software they don't need, automate the busywork and use AI safely.

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Works with
Small and growing businesses

How
Directly with me, under NDA

Replies
Within 48 hours

Oriol López, freelance fractional CTO, smiling in round glasses and a black t-shirt. I'm Oriol López, the technology partner for businesses too small for a full-time CTO.

I start where the friction is: the software nobody uses, the data stuck in different places, the work done twice by hand. Then I replace it with fewer systems, automation and private AI that run on their own.

A tangle of network cables in an office comms cabinet.

Most small-business IT looks like this behind the door: years of quick fixes, no documentation and nobody quite sure what is still in use.

The cost of messy IT

Old systems, data spread across tools that don't talk to each other and no single plan create a drag you pay for every day, in money and in time. I untangle it.

You don't need a full-time CTO to fix it. You need someone senior, on your side, for as long as the work takes.

  • Technology that matches what the business is actually trying to do.
  • Fewer subscriptions, fewer workarounds, less manual work.
  • Secure systems and private AI that you own and control.

Services

Fractional CTO and IT consulting for small businesses. Most clients start with one of these and add others as the work shows what is needed.

Fractional CTO

Senior technology leadership a few days a month, without a full-time hire: a clear roadmap, vendor and budget decisions, and someone on your side when developers or IT suppliers need direction.

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IT audit & cost review

A close look at how work really moves through your business. I find the bottlenecks, cancel the software nobody uses and cut the steps that add nothing but cost.

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Workflow automation

Connecting the tools you already pay for so information moves on its own. No more copying between spreadsheets, inboxes and systems by hand.

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AI & automation systems

Practical AI that takes repetitive work off your plate: reading documents, sorting requests, drafting replies. Built to run on its own, with you in control of what matters.

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Private AI infrastructure

AI tools and language models that run inside your own environment, so customer and company data never leaves your hands or ends up in a public AI service.

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Cybersecurity & access

The basics done properly: who can access what, backups that actually restore, secure devices and clear rules for your data, before something goes wrong.

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Technology strategy

A one- to three-year plan that ties every technology decision to what the business is trying to achieve, so you invest in systems that last instead of chasing trends.

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Cloud & digital infrastructure

Email, files, networks, cloud and devices set up so they simply work, are documented, and do not depend on one person remembering how it was done.

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Owner productivity

A short, well-chosen set of tools and private workflows for you, the owner, so the noise is filtered and you get hours of thinking time back every week.

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A café owner behind his counter, checking his phone.
You run the business. I make sure the technology behind it works for you, not the other way round.

Outcomes so far

12+
Businesses advised, across technology, finance and professional services.
40%
Average drop in operational overhead within the first six months.
3×
Faster to value than building the same AI capability in-house.
100%
Of engagements covered by a signed non-disclosure agreement.

Results depend on context and vary by engagement. Figures come from completed engagements; no projection or guarantee of the same outcome is made or implied.

A business owner working on her laptop at a tidy desk.

How I work

Four stages, from the first audit to ongoing part-time CTO support. You deal with me at every one of them, and you can stop after any stage.

  1. Discovery & audit

    I spend time inside your business to see how work really gets done: the tools, the costs, the workarounds and the things that keep breaking.

    Owners serving customers at the counter of a small coffee shop.

  2. Plan

    A short written plan: what to fix, what to keep, what to cancel and what it will cost. Clear enough to act on, whether or not I do the work.

    A desk with a laptop, an open notebook and a calculator.

  3. Implementation

    I carry out the plan or lead your suppliers through it: automations, private AI, security and infrastructure, with as little disruption to the day as possible.

    Hands typing on a laptop showing code, next to a coffee and a phone.

  4. Ongoing CTO

    Part-time technology leadership as you grow: monthly check-ins, decisions on new tools and hires, and someone to call when technology gets in the way.

    A business owner smiling at her laptop in a café.

Questions

What is a fractional CTO?

A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who works with a business part-time, for a few days a month, instead of as a full-time employee. You get the same strategic decisions, roadmap and oversight a full-time CTO would bring, at a fraction of the cost and without a long-term hire.

Who do you work with?

Owners of small and growing businesses that depend on technology but have no full-time technology leader. Typically companies whose tools grew by accident, whose IT supplier only fixes what breaks, or who want to use AI without putting their data at risk.

How is a fractional CTO different from an IT support company?

An IT support company fixes problems when they appear. A fractional CTO decides what your technology should look like in the first place: which systems to keep, which to cancel, what to automate and how to spend your budget. I often work alongside your existing IT supplier and give them clear direction.

Are you a freelancer or an agency?

I am an independent, freelance fractional CTO. You work with me directly, from the first call to the last delivery. There are no account managers or junior staff in between, and I take on a limited number of clients so each one gets my full attention.

How does an engagement start?

With a short call about what is slowing your business down. If there is a fit, I begin with an audit of your current technology and costs, then deliver a written plan. From there you decide whether I implement it, lead your suppliers, or stay on as your ongoing part-time CTO.

Can you help my business use AI safely?

Yes. I set up practical AI for everyday work, such as handling documents, emails and requests, and where your data is sensitive I run the models inside your own environment so nothing is sent to public AI services. Every engagement is covered by a signed NDA.

How quickly will I hear back?

I reply to every message within 48 hours, personally.

Tell me what slows your business down. I read and answer every message myself.

I reply to every message within 48 hours.

Every conversation is confidential. I take on a limited number of clients, so each one gets my full attention.

Or find me on LinkedIn