FRACTIONAL HARDWARE CTO · EUROPE
Your prototype works. Now make it a product.
Senior hardware leadership, part-time. I take European startups from working prototype to certified, manufacturable product, with EU compliance built into the architecture, not bolted on at the end.
I take 3 clients at a time. Currently accepting new engagements.
Where founders lose money:
You build something that works on your bench but nobody can reproduce.
I validate the concept against manufacturing reality, certification constraints, and real component availability before you spend on tooling.
Where founders lose money:
Prototype rounds multiply. Each iteration burns €20k to €50k and 6 weeks.
I define clear pass/fail criteria for each engineering build so the team knows when to iterate and when to move forward.
Where founders lose money:
The design freezes before compliance is considered. Certification becomes a redesign.
I fold CE, RED, MDR, and ESPR requirements into the design review, not as an afterthought.
Where founders lose money:
Your factory partner quotes fast, but PVT samples come back wrong. Twice.
I vet factories from my European network and run PVT with kill criteria. If samples fail, we know why and fix it before MP.
Where founders lose money:
Production starts, but yield is 60% and your BOM cost is 30% over target.
I set yield targets and BOM cost gates before MP. If the numbers do not close, we do not start.
The Fractal Hardware OS: POC, EVT, DVT, PVT, MP. Hover or tap each gate.
“Our prototype works on the bench but we have no idea how to get it to production.”
“We keep burning budget on prototype rounds that do not converge.”
“Certification feels like a black box that will kill our timeline.”
“We cannot afford a senior hardware VP, and a wrong hire is fatal.”
“Our factory quotes look fine until they do not deliver.”
These are not signs of a bad team. They are signs of a team that needs senior hardware leadership before it can afford a full-time hire. That is what a fractional CTO is for.
Compliance as a design input
CE marking, RED cybersecurity (applicable since August 2025), MDR, Battery Regulation, RoHS, WEEE, ESPR ecodesign, GDPR for connected devices. Built into the architecture, not tested at the end.
Nearshore industrialization
A vetted European factory network: shorter logistics, IP kept in the EU, lower minimum order quantities, easier factory visits. "Made in EU" matters for public procurement and health buyers.
Circular by Design
Repairability, modularity, and material choices designed in from day one. Not because it sounds good, but because EU market access is moving that way. Specific metrics, not marketing labels.
A proven stage-gate method
The Fractal Hardware OS: POC, EVT, DVT, PVT, MP. Each gate has KPIs and kill criteria. If the numbers do not close at a gate, you stop and save the budget for the fix.
Bench depth without headcount
When the project needs hands, the FullCycle network supplies specialists across 53 technical-scientific domains, per project, without permanent hires crushing your runway.
INCLUDED
- Architecture decisions and design reviews
- Supplier and factory selection from a vetted EU network
- Certification strategy (CE, RED, MDR, ESPR, RoHS, WEEE)
- Industrialization planning with stage-gate milestones
- Team structure and hiring guidance
- Budget and timeline reality checks
- Board and investor technical credibility
NOT INCLUDED
- Day-to-day project management (that is your PM's job)
- Hands-on CAD, PCB layout, or firmware (I review, not draw)
- Sales, marketing, or fundraising strategy
Fit call (20 min)
We talk about your product, your stage, and whether I can help. No pitch, no obligation.
Technical audit (first 2 weeks)
I review your architecture, BOM, certification gaps, and factory readiness. You get a written roadmap with gates and kill criteria.
Monthly cadence
Up to 5 days per month. Design reviews, supplier calls, certification coordination, team guidance. Billed at €320/h.
Handover or scale up
When the product is in production, the engagement ends cleanly. Or if the scope grows, FullCycle takes on the full project.
€320/hour
Max 5 days per month. Max 3 clients at a time.
B2B only. Invoiced monthly. Starts with a 2-week technical audit.
I keep the client list small so every engagement gets real attention. If all 3 spots are taken, I will tell you on the fit call and suggest an alternative.
Smart CitySiemens Mobility
Bike-sharing station development and manufacturing for a global mobility company.
Client exited for over €1 billion. Product industrialized on time with EU compliance.
NeurotechNeroes
Market-ready brain-controlled helmet. 3-month window to hit valuation milestone.
Delivered in 3 months. €6M valuation increase for the startup.
Circular Designdoop x SONAE
World's first recycled, recyclable toothbrush from used yoghurt cartons.
Cradle-to-cradle certified. Red Dot Award winner. 10,000+ stores interested.
Smart LightingSchréder Hyperion
Machine-vision proof of concept for smart lighting systems.
3 fully operational prototypes delivered in 1 month.
“Francisco is the embodiment of strategic and engineering excellence. Even before a contract is signed, he thinks on the spot, dedicates his full attention, and exposes ideas without holding back. The deliverable was eye-opening.”
Denis Sreckelmacher
Hardware Startup Founder
“Francisco possesses a sharp strategic vision and an excellent ability to identify blind spots. His clarity of thought, his rare ability to break down complex challenges and propose practical solutions, is exactly what any founder wants when it is time to execute.”
Armando Gonçalves
Product Developer
“We were struggling with product development and manufacturing clarity until Francisco gave us a whole new perspective and connected us to the right partners. He saved us many months and resources.”
Emiliano Guitierrez
Co-Founder, Raiz
I started FullCycle because I saw hardware startups making the same expensive mistakes at the same stages. 4 companies built, 300+ products shipped through a distributed network of 400+ factory partners across 53 technical-scientific domains.
I teach Circular Economy at Instituto Superior Técnico and mentor hardware founders at Casa do Impacto and through the Patient Innovation / EIT Health programmes. Clients include Siemens, Schréder, Brisa, Vision Box, and Carris, alongside deep-tech startups building their first product.
Based near Lisbon. I work in English and Portuguese.
GOOD FIT
- European hardware company with fewer than 50 people
- Between working prototype and first production run
- Building health devices, smart city, or IoT products
- Post-seed, Series A, or EU grant funded
- Need a senior technical partner, not another consultant's slide deck
NOT A FIT
- Pure software product with no physical hardware
- Need someone full-time and on-site 5 days a week
- Looking for the cheapest possible path to production
- Product does not target the European market
- Need marketing or sales help, not technical leadership
You get senior-level architecture decisions, design reviews, and certification strategy without the €150k to €250k annual commitment. Five focused days from someone who has done this 300+ times replaces twenty days from someone figuring it out. I set the architecture, review the critical decisions, and make sure you do not burn a prototype round discovering something I already know. When you need hands-on engineering, the FullCycle network supplies specialists per project.
Most fractional hardware CTOs optimise for proximity to Shenzhen factories. I optimise for proximity to the European market your product has to enter: CE, RED cybersecurity (mandatory since August 2025), MDR, ESPR ecodesign compliance built into the design phase, a vetted EU factory network, and IP that stays under EU jurisdiction. Shenzhen is right for some products. But if your customer is European healthcare or smart city infrastructure, your compliance and supply chain strategy should be European too.
Yes, when it makes sense. Some components or volumes require it. The difference is that compliance, design authority, and IP stay in Europe. I coordinate with Asian suppliers through the same stage-gate process.
CE marking, RED directive including the cybersecurity delegated act (applicable since August 2025), MDR for medical devices, EU Battery Regulation, RoHS, WEEE, ESPR ecodesign requirements, and GDPR for connected devices. I plan the strategy and coordinate with accredited test labs.
I sign your NDA before any technical discussion. All IP created during the engagement belongs to you. FullCycle operates under strict confidentiality. We have done this with defence, medical, and publicly listed clients.
If the scope grows beyond advisory into design, prototyping, and production, FullCycle can take on the full project. The fractional CTO engagement is the natural entry point, not a separate silo.
The engagement starts with a 2-week technical audit. After that, the standard cadence is monthly. No long-term lock-in, but meaningful results need at least 3 months.
Primarily remote with video calls and shared documentation. I am based near Lisbon and travel to clients across Europe for design reviews, factory visits, and board meetings when needed. English and Portuguese.
Twenty minutes. No pitch.
I will ask what your product does, where you are in the build cycle, and what decision you are stuck on. You will get an honest assessment of your top risk and whether I can help. If I cannot, I will tell you who can.
Book a 20-min fit call