01 Decide
Fractional CTO
When the next decision is expensive.
Architecture choices, hiring plans, delivery habits, and technical tradeoffs before a full-time CTO makes sense.
a12aandrew zappellaFractional CTO services | AI consulting
For leaders with costly technology problems to solve.
I help leaders choose what to build, what to fix, what to hire for, and where AI can become a trusted part of how the business works.
Expertise & Capabilities
Practical help for technical decisions, AI work, and delivery.
I work where technical choices carry commercial weight: direction, implementation, and the operating habits that make software easier to ship.
02 Trust
AI Consulting
When AI needs to become dependable.
Use-case selection, first working systems, evaluation loops, and vendor choices without turning AI into a research project.
03 Ship
Product Engineering
When the team needs momentum.
Tighter roadmaps, shorter feedback loops, and engineering practices that help teams ship software customers can actually use.
Background
I co-founded and exited two companies, including one acquired by trivago.
I served as CTO twice since. I bring operating experience across startups, portfolio companies, and technical organizations. My work spans strategy development, engineering leadership, product innovation, organization design, and the architecture of distributed data systems.
Highlights
- Co-founder of Base7booking, a hotel cloud-based property management system acquired by trivago
- CTO at Audacia Group, helping scale and integrate a +35M revenue portfolio across ecommerce and digital services companies
- CTO at Technis SA, built-world analytics for customers including FIFA, SNCF, Samsung, Carrefour, Cabaïa, and Stoneweg
- Co-founder of Suisseo, a digital advertising consultancy creating marketing optimization tools and products for clients including Ricardo, Victorinox, and the Swiss Confederation
- Managing Partner at Lightstreams, building blockchain and Web3 infrastructure on an Ethereum-based network
- Investor and advisor to pre-seed, seed, and Series A startups and SMEs
Approach
How this works.
Simple engagement structures. I can pressure-test a decision, strengthen your team, or take responsibility for a defined piece of work.
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Advise
Focused decision support and technical review.
Useful when you need clear direction on architecture, AI feasibility, hiring, delivery risk, or a strategic technical choice.
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Augment
Work alongside the existing team.
Useful when leadership, product judgment, or senior engineering capacity is missing for a critical stretch of work.
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Deliver
Own a scoped initiative through implementation.
Useful when the business needs a prototype, internal tool, AI workflow, or product improvement planned and shipped directly.
Testimonials
Andrew helped me build a complex, fully functioning prototype of a WhatsApp-based AI assistant CRM in less than two days.
Based in Switzerland, working remotely