Fractional CTOs & Founding Engineers in Santa Monica
Silicon Beach hub for e-commerce and consumer tech. We help Santa Monica startups scale from Seed to Series A with embedded engineering leadership and senior full-stack builders who ship like your first 5 hires.
Why Santa Monica Startups Choose HyperNest
The Santa Monica tech ecosystem is unique. Silicon Beach hub for e-commerce and consumer tech. Whether you're building the next breakout company or scaling an established product, you need engineering partners who understand the local landscape and can move at startup speed.
We've worked with companies across healthcare (Rupa Health), sports tech (OddsJam), developer tools (Dromo), and more. Our fractional CTOs and founding engineers embed directly in your team—no agency overhead, no rotating contractors.
What We Bring to Santa Monica Startups
- ✓Full US timezone overlap for Southern California teams
- ✓Experience with Santa Monica investors and accelerators
- ✓On-site availability for key meetings and offsites
- ✓Network of senior engineers in the Southern California ecosystem
- ✓Track record with acquisition-bound startups
Services for Santa Monica Startups
From fractional CTO leadership to embedded engineering pods, we scale with your needs.
Fractional CTO
Executive technical leadership for Santa Monica startups. Roadmap, architecture, hiring, and investor storytelling.
Learn more →⚡Founding Engineers
Senior full-stack builders who embed in your Santa Monica team and ship like your first 5 engineers.
Learn more →🤖AI/LLM Development
Ship copilots, agents, and RAG systems to production. From GPT integration to custom model deployment.
Learn more →🔒Security & VAPT
Vulnerability assessment, SOC 2 preparation, and security-first architecture for enterprise sales.
Learn more →📊Technical Due Diligence
Prepare your Santa Monica startup for investor scrutiny or acquisition with thorough technical documentation.
Learn more →🚀MVP Development
Ship your minimum viable product in weeks with production-grade code from founding engineers.
Learn more →Proof Behind the Promise
We've helped startups scale to acquisition and beyond. Here's what we've built.
Rupa Health
$100K→$5M ARRFractional CTO from Seed to Series A, scaling ARR from $100K to $5M.
Read case study →
OddsJam
AcquiredTechnical due diligence that unlocked acquisition by Gambling.com.
Read case study →
Dromo
0→1 to ScaleFounding engineer from 0→1 to enterprise-scale data platform.
Read case study →“Aravind is in the top 1% of engineers I've hired. He supported us from $100K to $5M ARR, keeping us shipping through crazy growth and investor scrutiny.”
Building a Startup in Santa Monica: What You Need to Know
Santa Monica has established itself as a critical hub in the American tech ecosystem.Silicon Beach hub for e-commerce and consumer tech. For founders building here, the challenge isn't just about having a great idea—it's about executing with the right technical team.
The Santa Monica Startup Engineering Challenge
Many Santa Monica founders face a critical decision early in their journey: should they hire a full-time CTO, work with an agency, or find a different path? The reality is that seed-stage startups often can't afford a full-time CTO (market rate: $300-500K+), yet agencies deliver rotating contractors who treat your product like just another ticket.
This is where fractional CTOs and founding engineers become essential. You get senior technical leadership and execution without the full-time commitment or agency overhead. At HyperNest Labs, we've helped Southern California startups navigate this exact transition—from pre-seed through Series A and beyond.
What Makes HyperNest Different for Santa Monica Founders
Unlike traditional agencies or freelancer platforms, we embed directly in your team. That means joining your Slack, attending your standups, and participating in your investor conversations. Our engineers have shipped products that led to 2 successful acquisitions and helped scale companies from $100K to $5M+ ARR.
For Santa Monica specifically, we offer:
- Full US timezone overlap for real-time collaboration
- Experience with Southern California investors and accelerators
- On-site availability for board meetings, offsites, and critical launches
- A network of senior engineers familiar with the Santa Monica tech ecosystem
- Track record across healthcare, fintech, sports betting, and AI/ML
When to Hire a Fractional CTO vs. Full-Time CTO
A fractional CTO makes sense when you're between $0-$3M ARR and need technical leadership for 10-25 hours per week. Once you hit Series A and have proven product-market fit, transitioning to a full-time technical leader often makes sense. Our fractional CTOs frequently help hire and onboard their permanent replacement—ensuring continuity and a smooth handoff.
Getting Started
If you're a Santa Monica founder looking for technical leadership or founding engineers, the process is simple. Book a 30-minute call to discuss your roadmap, and we'll assess fit. There are no lengthy proposals or sales processes—you talk directly to Aravind, our founder, who has personally supported every client engagement.
Aravind has been a fractional CTO and founding engineer for 15+ startups, helping scale companies like Rupa Health and OddsJam through acquisitions. He previously built systems at enterprise scale and now helps early-stage founders ship faster without the agency overhead.
Connect on LinkedIn →Santa Monica Startup Engineering FAQs
Do you have engineers based in Santa Monica?
We work with startups across the US with engineers who have deep Santa Monica tech ecosystem experience. Our team provides full US timezone overlap and can work on-site in Santa Monica when needed for critical meetings, offsites, or investor presentations.
What types of Santa Monica startups do you work with?
We partner with venture-backed Santa Monica startups from pre-seed through Series B. Silicon Beach hub for e-commerce and consumer tech. We've helped companies across healthcare, fintech, SaaS, and AI ship products that led to acquisitions and successful funding rounds.
How is HyperNest different from Santa Monica development agencies?
Unlike traditional agencies, we embed as founding engineers and fractional CTOs directly in your team. No rotating contractors, no account managers buffering conversations. You get senior engineers with outcome ownership who ship like your first 5 hires.
What does a typical engagement look like for Santa Monica companies?
Most engagements start with a 30-minute call to understand your roadmap and challenges. From there, we scope either a fractional CTO partnership (10-25 hrs/week) or embedded founding engineers. We integrate into your Slack, standups, and culture from day one.
Can you help with investor technical due diligence in Santa Monica?
Yes. We've supported 2 successful acquisitions (OddsJam by Gambling.com, clients preparing for Series A/B). We prepare architecture documentation, conduct code audits, and help you tell a compelling technical story to Southern California investors.
Ready to scale your Santa Monica startup?
Let's talk about your roadmap and how we can help you ship faster without the agency overhead.