Heman Duraiswamy
Founding Partner & Chief Strategist CTO Advisory
Based in United States · 25+ years experience
Summary
Entrepreneur. Technologist. Mentor. Investor | CTO @ BlueSky | Past: Circa (co-founder / exited to Stake), SwissRe, Hortonworks, Orbitz, IBS
About
I am a seasoned technology leader with 25 years of experience driving innovation, scalability, and security across diverse industries including fintech, proptech, edtech, insurance, and data analytics. My career has been defined by building IT systems from zero to scale, architecting cloud-native platforms, and enabling organizations to harness data, payments, and emerging technologies for measurable business impact
Core Expertise:
> Architecture & Scale: Designing resilient, configurable, and cost-effective systems.
> Banking & Payments: Deep expertise in ACH, cards, cash, RTP, and open banking integrations.
> Data & Analytics: Building data-centric platforms with ML, AI, and advanced BI capabilities.
> Web3 & Blockchain: Tokenization, smart contracts, and decentralized platforms for secure, transparent transactions.
> Cloud & Security: Proven track record with AWS, Azure, and embedding security-first practices in every layer
Leadership Journey:
> Founder of ScaleBI (Apache Superset enterprise support & managed BI services).
> Executive Partner at CTO in a Box, providing fractional CTO advisory.
> Co-Founder & CTO of Circa (flexible rent payments, acquired by Stake).
> Head of Engineering at Stake, leading embedded banking & payments platform integration.
> Senior leadership roles at SwissRe/iptiQ, Dodge Data & Analytics, and Orbitz Worldwide
Passion & Impact:
Beyond technical execution, I am passionate about mentoring, community building, and shaping the next generation of startups. I actively contribute as a mentor with Techstars, StartupBootcamp, and TiE-NY, helping entrepreneurs scale their visions into impactful products.
Skills
Software Architecture, Cloud & Infrastructure, M&A / Due Diligence, Platform Modernisation, Cybersecurity, Engineering Leadership, Vendor Management, DevOps, Governance & Risk, Data & AI
Regions covered
Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Africa, South America, Middle East
Industry experience
Fintech, Professional Services, Manufacturing, Retail, SaaS, Education, Healthcare
At a glance
Heman brings hands-on experience across Software Architecture, Cloud & Infrastructure, M&A / Due Diligence, Platform Modernisation, Cybersecurity, Engineering Leadership and 4 other areas. Available for engagements across Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Africa, South America, Middle East. Industry experience includes Fintech, Professional Services, Manufacturing, Retail, SaaS and 2 more.
How fractional CTO engagements with Heman work
Heman works on a fractional basis — typically one to three days a week for an agreed engagement length — so you get senior technical leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. Engagements commonly include technical due diligence, board reporting, engineering team leadership, technology strategy, architecture reviews, hiring support, and stepping in as interim CTO during a transition.