About Illicus: Senior-only fractional CTO & CISO operators
We’re a small team of senior operators delivering fractional CTO/CISO leadership, audits, and delivery engagements for Series A–growth tech companies.
No prep required. We’ll share a plan within 48 hours.
What We Do
Clear, senior-led engagements focused on measurable engineering and security outcomes.
Fractional CTO
Technical leadership, architecture decisions, and roadmap guidance without a full-time exec hire.
Learn moreFractional CISO
Pragmatic security leadership: risk management, controls, vendor reviews, and audit readiness.
Learn moreInfrastructure & Security Audits
A focused assessment of cloud architecture, security posture, and operational practices with prioritized recommendations.
Learn moreSOC 2 Readiness
Control implementation, evidence collection, and audit preparation to get you from “not ready” to audit-ready.
Learn moreCI/CD Setup & Hardening
Secure delivery pipelines with reliable promotions, rollbacks, and integrated security scanning.
Learn moreMigration Delivery
End-to-end execution for cloud migrations and re-architecture with risk-managed cutovers.
Learn moreWho We Work Best With
Our best engagements are with teams that have meaningful constraints (time, risk, compliance, delivery velocity) and want a senior operator to help them make pragmatic tradeoffs.
Great fit
- Series A through growth-stage companies (often B2B SaaS, FinTech, HealthTech, DevTools)
- Engineering orgs that need leadership, focus, or risk reduction—without hiring a full executive team
- Teams preparing for SOC 2 / ISO 27001, or modernizing delivery and infrastructure
Not ideal
- Staff augmentation requests without clear outcomes or ownership
- Teams looking for “process theater” instead of measurable delivery
- Engagements where we can’t work collaboratively with your existing team and tools
Our Story
Illicus was founded in 2013 with a simple premise: growing technology companies deserve access to senior engineering expertise without the overhead of large consultancies or the commitment of full-time executives.
We've spent our careers building and operating production systems—at startups that became household names, at enterprises navigating digital transformation, and at companies in highly regulated industries where mistakes have real consequences.
We started Illicus because we saw a gap: companies that had outgrown their initial architecture but weren't ready for (or couldn't afford) a full executive team. Companies that needed to pass their first SOC 2 audit. Companies that needed to migrate to the cloud without disrupting their business.
If that sounds familiar, start with a focused infrastructure audit, SOC 2 readiness, or a fractional CTO/fractional CISO engagement.
Today, we work primarily with Series A through growth-stage B2B SaaS companies. We're the technical partner that founders call when they need an experienced operator—not a slide deck.
How We Work
These aren't aspirational values—they're how we operate every day.
Senior-Only Delivery
Every engagement is led by practitioners with 10+ years of hands-on experience. No junior consultants learning on your dime.
Outcomes Over Hours
We optimize for results, not billable time. Fixed-scope engagements with clear deliverables and success criteria.
Pragmatic Solutions
We build for your constraints, not ideal-world scenarios. Every recommendation considers your team, timeline, and budget.
Knowledge Transfer
We're here to build capability, not dependency. Every engagement includes documentation and training.
Security by Default
Security is woven into everything we deliver—not an afterthought or an add-on.
Low-Noise Communication
Clear, concise updates. No status meetings for the sake of meetings. We respect your time.
Our Principles
- We only take on work we can deliver exceptionally well.
- We say no to engagements where we cannot add significant value.
- We communicate proactively—especially when things are difficult.
- We document decisions with context so your future team understands why.
- We optimize for long-term maintainability, not just initial delivery.
- We admit when we don't know something and bring in expertise when needed.
Our Background
We've worked across industries and scales—bringing lessons learned to every engagement.
Let's Work Together
Book a 20-minute discovery call. No prep required—bring your current constraints and goals.