Red Cedar Ventures seeks a Fractional CTO with mobility expertise to provide technical leadership and advisory support across a portfolio of mobility-focused companies, operating 10 to 15 hours per week.
Red Cedar Ventures, through its connection to the Michigan State University Research Foundation and the Global Epicenter of Mobility's Funders Network, is engaging a Fractional CTO to support mobility-related portfolio companies. The role is advisory and hands-on, spanning technical audits, engineering team mentorship, AI adoption guidance, and investment due diligence.
The position suits an experienced technical leader who can operate across multiple early-stage and growth-stage companies simultaneously, translating complex engineering matters into clear guidance for non-technical founders and investors.
- Conduct technical audits of portfolio companies, assessing code quality, architecture, security, and team capability
- Serve as a senior technical advisor and mentor to engineering leads and technical founders
- Assist non-technical founders in understanding and managing their engineering teams effectively
- Identify and flag technical risks before they escalate into business-level problems
- Support investment due diligence by evaluating whether a target company's technical architecture is an asset or a liability
- Identify practical AI adoption opportunities across portfolio companies and guide founders in evaluating and implementing appropriate tools
- 7 or more years in software engineering, including at least 3 to 5 years in a CTO, VP Engineering, or equivalent leadership role
- Hands-on experience with AI and machine learning tools and familiarity with how modern AI platforms apply to real products
- Demonstrated success working with startups or high-growth technology companies, ideally from early stage through Series C
- Background in mobility, automotive, transportation, logistics, or hardware-enabled technology strongly preferred
- Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical founders and investors
- Comfortable managing responsibilities across multiple portfolio companies at the same time
Red Cedar Ventures is an investment firm operating in mobility and technology, supporting companies from early stage through to growth. The firm works closely with the Michigan State University Research Foundation and is focused on advancing innovation in the mobility sector across Michigan and beyond.
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