Fractional CTO for Toronto & the GTA
Toronto-grade technical leadership, without the full-time hire.I'm Colin Longworth, a fractional CTO serving Toronto and the GTA. I help founders and teams across Toronto, Mississauga, and the surrounding region get senior technical direction, architecture, and hands-on code, for a fraction of a full-time executive hire.
Toronto has one of North America's strongest startup ecosystems, and one of the most expensive CTO hiring markets. Founders here routinely face the same wall: they need senior technical leadership to move fast and raise, but a full-time CTO costs $250K+ with equity, and agencies build what you ask for without owning the outcome. That's the gap I fill for GTA companies: fractional, hands-on, and accountable.
Built for the Toronto & GTA startup ecosystem
Senior leadership on demand
Former SAP Hybris VPR Lead for EMEA with 15+ years shipping software, the depth Toronto startups need without the full-time price tag.
Delivery, not just advice
I write code, run architecture reviews, and unblock teams. Many GTA founders hire me because previous engagements stalled, the pattern that fixes it is momentum.
Hybrid-friendly
Most GTA engagements run hybrid, in-person in Toronto when it's worth the commute, remote between. I work with clients in Canada, the US, and globally.
What a fractional CTO does for GTA companies
The same scope of work I deliver anywhere:
Architecture & tech strategy
Stack decisions, system design, and scaling plans, with the tradeoffs made explicit.
Hands-on development
Laravel, Livewire, WordPress, WooCommerce, and integration work, shipped by me, not delegated.
Roadmap & delivery rhythm
Priorities, milestones, and shipped progress, the antidote to a stalled product.
Team building & hiring
JD reviews, technical screens, and onboarding so you hire engineers who fit.
How it starts
Introductory call
A 30-minute conversation about your product vision and current technical bottlenecks. No pitch, no slides.
Scope & technical roadmap
We define clear milestones and architecture priorities tailored to what your business needs.
Hands-on execution
Direct technical leadership embedded with your team: architecture, PR reviews, and code shipped to your repo.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with Toronto startups in person?
Yes. I regularly meet GTA clients in person in Toronto when it's worth the commute. Most engagements run hybrid, in-person for the sessions that matter, remote between.
How much does a fractional CTO cost in Toronto?
Pricing is tailored to your stage and scope: from fixed-fee technical audits to monthly fractional retainers. No equity requirements or hidden fees. For comparison, a full-time Toronto CTO hire typically runs $250K+ plus equity.
What technologies do you work with?
Laravel, Livewire, Tailwind CSS, WordPress, WooCommerce, Thinkific integrations, SAP Hybris, and SSO/identity (Okta, Auth0, SAML), plus cloud infrastructure on Cloudflare and Hetzner.
Can you help if I already have developers?
That's often the best time to bring me in. I lead the technical direction, set standards, review the work, and unblock the team so your developers ship faster.
How fast can we start?
Usually within a week. We start with an introductory call to discuss your goals and align on scope before kicking off.
Toronto moves fast. Let's make sure your technical foundation keeps up.