We do technology differently.
Argo Technologies is a UK-based fractional CTO service for founders and business owners, from SMEs to pre-seed and seed-stage startups. We believe the best technology decisions are made through collaboration, and that the most valuable software gets created when the boundary between 'devs' and 'the business' is revealed for what it truly is — an illusion.
Too often software teams are black boxes.
This isn't the only way.
- You ask for a feature
- You hear grumblings about 'tech debt' and 'refactoring'
- You get a vague timeline that seems way longer than seems reasonable
- Every decision made alongside you
- Trade-offs discussed openly and clearly
- You could own the stack yourself within six months
Three principles we believe in.
Tech done with you, not to you
Every technology decision is made alongside you, with trade-offs discussed openly and clearly. The boundary between 'devs' and 'the business' is an illusion.
Human-centred, AI augmented
All technology problems are ultimately human problems. Answer 'why' and 'who' first — the 'what' is usually the most straightforward piece, and AI makes it easier than ever.
Fixed costs, no surprises
We define the scope clearly, you pay a fixed fee, and we deliver what you asked for. If it takes longer, that's the risk we bear.
- Why are we doing this? Why now?
- Who is this for? Who do we need to get it done? And who will be accountable for it?
Our goal is for you to feel so empowered and clear about your technology stack that you can own it yourself within six months — if you choose to.
Launching a compliant mental health service in four months.
Towards needed a fractional CTO to take their digital platform from nothing to compliant and live — within a fixed budget and a fixed date.
You'll work directly with Alex.
One point of contact, one person accountable. Alex owns the outcome and manages whatever technical support is needed to get there.
Alex is a fractional CTO who has worked with founders from pre-seed through to Series A. His role is strategic rather than hands-on: he engages directly with clients to understand the scope, identify the real bottlenecks, and bring in the right technical support as needed.
Alex was previously CTO at Intropic. He also writesEngineering Harmony, a weekday newsletter on ancient wisdom and technology leadership in the age of AI.
He works with a small number of clients at a time — enough to be genuinely embedded in each one, not spread thin across many.
alex@argo‑technologies.comWhat founders ask us.
What does Argo Technologies do?
Argo is a UK-based fractional CTO service. We give founders and business owners a fractional CTO and access to an embedded engineering team. Alex Jukes leads every engagement: he works out what you actually need, makes the technology decisions alongside you, and brings in the right technical support to deliver it.
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who works with your business for a defined period or part of the week, rather than as a permanent hire. You get the calibre of a CTO — someone who can make technical decisions, hold suppliers to account and explain trade-offs in plain language — without the commitment of a full-time executive.
Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO vs agencyHow much does it cost?
Every engagement is priced as a fixed fee. We agree the scope with you up front, you pay the agreed fee, and if the work takes longer than planned, that's our risk, not yours.
Who is Argo a good fit for?
Founders and business owners — of SMEs and of pre-seed and seed-stage startups — who need senior technical leadership but don't yet need it permanently: for example, to work out what to build (and what not to), launch a platform, choose and manage a technology supplier, or meet a compliance standard by a fixed date. We work with a small number of clients at a time.
When isn't a fractional CTO the right choice?
When off-the-shelf tools already do everything your business needs, and you're not planning anything beyond them. In that case you probably don't need a CTO at all. Large, established organisations with substantial IT teams usually already have what we provide. And if technology is your core product and you need technical leadership permanently, hire a full-time CTO.
Does Alex write the code?
Alex's role is strategic rather than hands-on. He scopes the work, identifies the real bottlenecks and owns the outcome, then brings in and manages whatever engineering support is needed to deliver it. You have one point of contact and one person accountable.
How is Argo different from a software development agency?
Too many software teams work as a black box: you ask for a feature and get back a vague timeline. We make every technology decision alongside you, discuss the trade-offs openly, and aim for you to understand your stack well enough to own it yourself within six months, if you choose to.
See the full comparisonWhat happens after six months?
Six months is the horizon we work to: by then you should be clear and confident enough about your technology to own it yourself. Some clients choose to keep working with us as they grow, as Towards has.
Do you work in regulated industries like healthcare?
Yes. As fractional CTO for Towards, a mental health business, Alex took the company from no compliance programme to Cyber Essentials Plus and NHS DSPT before its first clinical hub opened, four months after he joined.
Read the Towards case studyHow do you use AI?
AI makes the build faster, not the thinking. All technology problems are ultimately human problems, so we answer 'why' and 'who' first. Once that's clear, AI makes building the 'what' easier than ever.
How do we get started?
Tell us what you're building using the form on this page, or email alex@argo-technologies.com. We reply within one working day with how we'd approach it and what it would cost.
Let's talk about what you're building.
Tell us the problem. We reply within one working day with how we'd approach it — and what it would cost.