Martijn Rutten
Fractional CTO | CTO as a Service at SoftwareStartups
Based in Netherlands · 28+ years experience
Summary
Fractional CTO | Startup & Scale-up advisor | 3x Tech Entrepreneur
About
Fractional CTO with 25+ years experience as a technical leader in B2B software technology strategy.
I went though the journey from founding team to scale-up three times, in the role of CTO and once as CEO. Helped close to a 100 startups and scale-ups in various fields, with an accent on Embedded Systems, Fintech, Insurtech, and Health Care.
My aim is to help scaling the software team, architecture, engineering processes, data, and IP portfolio. I also regularly perform Technical Due Diligence and mentor C-level leadership.
See my Fractional CTO services and insights at softwarestartups.com.
I focus on B2B SaaS companies, and am deep in the trenches of agentic AI in all aspects of an business.
Specialties: Startup-style business innovation. Scaling up and preparing startups for aggressive growth. Building highly professional software teams. Early-stage startup funding and venture capital. IPR & patent strategy. Thought leadership.
I quickly embrace new domains, with a deep understanding of Fintech / Insurtech and Embedded Systems. Broad software architecture and engineering base, ranging from compiler and DSP technology to serverless, event-sourced, cloud-native SaaS platforms, (no-nonsense) Blockchain technology, and Big Data/AI and Agentic Software Factories.
Skills
Software Architecture, Cloud & Infrastructure, M&A / Due Diligence, Engineering Leadership, Data & AI
Regions covered
France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Europe, Ireland, Germany
Industry experience
Not-for-profit, Government, Fintech, Professional Services, Manufacturing, Retail, SaaS, Education, Healthcare
At a glance
Martijn brings hands-on experience across Software Architecture, Cloud & Infrastructure, M&A / Due Diligence, Engineering Leadership, Data & AI. Available for engagements across France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Europe, Ireland, Germany. Industry experience includes Not-for-profit, Government, Fintech, Professional Services, Manufacturing and 4 more.
How fractional CTO engagements with Martijn work
Martijn 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.