A research-first spin-off is becoming an operating company
The core technology is defensible. The missing layer is architecture, engineering management, security, reliability, supplier control, and the evidence needed for customers or the board.
FRACTIONAL CTO · Zurich
Fractional CTO Zurich
Hybrid · train from Innsbruck via Bregenz · on-site as surchargeable add-on
Remote-first technical leadership for Zurich. Paid on-site board reviews, hiring panels, and technical workshops can be planned by rail from Tirol; the travel is visible in the quote.
Reply within 4 working hours. Usually within 1.
AwardedTop 100 Young Companies in Austria. #36 in 2024, #58 in 2023 (GEWINN magazine).
Shipped75+ products, 5+ years, across 17 countries.
LanguagesDeutsch, English.
ReviewsGoogle 4.7 stars. Trustpilot 4.5 stars.
Working with Wavect in Zurich
The Canton of Zurich describes the region as a high-tech ecosystem spanning AI, computer vision, quantum computing, autonomous systems, engineering, and university spin-offs. ETH Zurich reported 37 new spin-offs in 2024, with AI and biotechnology strongly represented.
Those are ecosystem facts, not Wavect credentials. The relevant CTO question is what happens after the research result or technical edge meets customers, production, security, and a team that must deliver repeatedly.
We work from Austria, remote first. Zurich is available for planned on-site work by rail. We do not claim a Zurich office, Swiss legal expertise, or a local client list that does not exist.
Two Zurich situations where a fractional CTO fits
The role begins where technical novelty needs production accountability.
An AI or high-tech product carries material data and operational risk
Model behaviour, data access, infrastructure, observability, and human fallback must become engineering decisions with owners. We make that system visible and governable.
The first 30 days with a Zurich high-tech team
The first month separates research claims, product claims, and production evidence.
- Map evidence and riskReview the technical claims, code, data, infrastructure, security boundaries, failure modes, suppliers, and customer commitments.
- Choose the production pathDecide what to build, buy, harden, instrument, or stop before the next customer, financing, or governance milestone.
- Create accountable technical reportingSet owners, release gates, risk reporting, hiring priorities, and a handover path to a full-time CTO.
Zurich high tech: CTO, CPO, or CTPO?
The Fractional CTO
owns technical evidence and production. The Fractional CPO Zurich
owns customer evidence and post-PMF prioritization. The Fractional CTPO
fits when the research-to-product boundary needs one owner.
// SOURCESWhat we use for Zurich context
We use these sources for local context. They do not imply a partnership, endorsement, office, or client relationship.
- Canton of Zurich: High-tech ecosystemOfficial overview of Zurich's AI, computer-vision, quantum, autonomous-systems, engineering, and spin-off ecosystem.
- ETH Zurich: 2024 spin-off reportOfficial report on 37 ETH spin-offs founded in 2024 and their technology fields.
- Canton of Zurich: AI Innovation SandboxOfficial programme addressing regulatory and data questions in applied AI projects.
Engagement tiers and transparent pricing
Four ways to start. Each one has a clear scope and a clear cancellation policy. No hours tracked, no surprise invoices.
CTO-on-Call
Async architecture review, hiring panels, tech decisions on demand.
4 to 8 hours per month
FROM
€2,500/ month
Start here →Embedded Fractional CTO
Lead the engineering org. Roadmap, hiring, vendor management, production accountability.
1 to 2 days per week
FROM
€12,000/ month
Start here →Tech Due Diligence
Fixed-price diligence for fundraising or M&A. Architecture, code, team assessment, investor-ready report.
1 to 3 weeks, fixed
FROM
€8,000fixed
Start here →Discovery + Roadmap
Two to three week deep-dive into a single product or transformation. Architecture, milestone plan, fixed-price build offer.
2 to 3 weeks, fixed
FROM
€3,500fixed
Start here →Fixed-price engagements are signed SoW (Werkvertrag). Wavect is legally bound on scope and deliverables. Retainers cancel weekly with no notice.
// 03How the network model works
Three things that make this different from hiring one consultant with one calendar.
You hire two founders, not one consultant.
Kevin and Christof are on every engagement. One is your product and CTO interface, the other is the senior engineer in the room. No account-manager handoff, no junior on the call after week three.
The bench scales when the work does.
15+ specialists we have shipped production work with. Security, zero-knowledge, mobile, ML, IoT. They plug in under the Wavect SoW. One contract, one invoice. We stay accountable for the outcome.
You stay in control of the contract.
Werkvertrag for fixed-price builds (signed scope, legally bound). Retainer for ongoing work (cancel any week). No hour tracking. No scope-creep invoices. The price you sign is the price you pay.
Who is in the room
Two managing directors. Both technical. Both on every engagement.
Kevin Riedl
Managing Director, Operations and Product
- Engineer since 13: TypeScript, C#, Rust, still in the pull requests.
- Founder-led podcast, 96 episodes with 9-figure founders.
- 75+ products shipped across 17 countries.
Christof Jori
Managing Director, Software
- Enterprise architecture, AI, and system reliability.
- Test-driven development, QA as a business enabler.
- 10 years cross-domain engineering.
Looking for a different city?
Fractional CTO Innsbruck →Fractional CTO Tirol →Fractional CTO Vienna →Fractional CTO Graz →Fractional CTO Linz →Fractional CTO Salzburg →Fractional CTO Munich →
Back to Austria →
// proof
Proof, not promises
4 years
Inside the City-Scale Build
Smart City IoT for Innsbruck: hardened LoRaWAN infrastructure, evaluated and integrated multi-vendor devices, wrote the per-device …
Kubernetes
LoRaWAN
Docker
2 months
0 to Enterprise
Institutional bond analytics platform, zero to enterprise-ready in 2 months; raised multiple rounds.
NestJS
React
Typescript
7 services
Unified Testing
1.5 years owning QA across seven services and multiple vendors. Quality stayed shippable through every refactor.
React
Java/Kotlin
Go
These are selected projects, not our full portfolio. We have shipped 75+ products since 2018.
What clients say
LinkedIn
If you're thinking about digitization of your company, tokenization, coding... you name it, I'd strongly recommend to get in touch with Kevin. His knowledge in the field is unparalleled and working with him a sheer pleasure as he is a super nice guy, strategic thinker and proactively hard worker. Thanks for your brilliant work Kev!
LinkedIn
I got to know Kevin around 1 year ago and have been working together with him since then. His vast knowledge in tech and programming combined with his business acumen makes him the go-to person for me in regards to any tech-related topics. Regardless if it is a project in the field of blockchain, IoT, or any other software development domain, I can recommend reaching out to Kevin to benefit from his tech know-how and a business relationship based on trust and customer centricity.
Trustpilot
Excellent work. The collaboration was very pleasant and you always had the feeling of being in good and capable hands.
Independently rated 5.0/5 on Clutch Read the reviews
Fractional CTO Zurich: local questions
High-tech context without invented Swiss credentials.
Two founders. One number. Reply in four hours.
Reply within 4 working hours. Usually within 1.