
25 years building. 80+ due diligences. VC partners at leading European funds. We tell you what tech is really worth - before you sign.
One engineer with the right AI stack outships a team of five. We design, build and implement - not just advise. From €2,500.
For VCs, PE firms, M&A advisors and family offices. A clear risk verdict in 5–7 days - built for decision-makers, not filing cabinets.
We embed as your CTO - owning technical strategy, leading the engineering team, rolling out AI workflows. On your terms.
We built companies, shipped products, sold two. Then became VC partners. That perspective - founder and investor - is what generic consultants can't replicate.
25 years in tech. Last month, one of our fractional CTOs shipped an entire product solo, part-time — with AI agents doing work that used to take a team of 4-5. Here’s what we’re seeing on the ground.
For VCs, PE firms, M&A advisors, family offices. Clear risk verdict in 5–7 days. Not a 60-page report - a decision tool. From €8,000.
→02We build AI-native engineering orgs. One engineer with the right agent stack outships a team of five. From audit to implementation. From €3,000.
→03Senior technical leadership on demand. Strategy, team, architecture - we own it alongside you. Day rate or monthly retainer.
→04For founders and C-level leaders navigating high-growth pressure, AI overwhelm, and burnout risk. Evidence-based coaching by coaches who've built companies themselves.
→Most tech advisors are either operators who've never invested, or investors who haven't built in years. We sit at the intersection.
When we run a Tech DD, we know what a stressed codebase looks like at 3am before a launch. When we advise on AI strategy, we're using these tools ourselves - today - to ship real products.
Above The Clouds was founded in 2013. We're VC partners at 4 European funds. We've shipped over 60 products and sold two.
Fast, clear tech verdicts. 80+ DDs. We know which red flags matter.
Hidden tech debt can cost millions post-close. We find it before you sign.
Tech showing cracks at scale? We fix the foundation without stopping the machine.
No internal tech capability? We're your independent technical voice.
We had the pleasure of working with Above The Clouds during a technical due diligence process for a startup we were considering re-investing in. Their expertise truly stood out. The team delivered a thorough analysis, pinpointing critical aspects that required our attention, and provided actionable insights. The report was incredibly detailed yet remained concrete and easy to understand, which made decision-making much more straightforward. They worked highly autonomously throughout the process, respecting our timeline and ensuring everything was completed on schedule.
Above The Clouds' ability to combine technical depth with practical recommendations is exceptional. I highly recommend their services for anyone in need of reliable and insightful IT due diligence.
We engaged Nicolas for a Tech Due Diligence and were impressed by his professionalism. He delivered a rigorous, clear, and relevant technical analysis within a very short timeframe. His expertise is a real asset for ensuring sound strategic decisions. I highly recommend Above the Clouds!
Really good experience working with Above The Clouds for the tech due diligence. We went through the entire tech stack across multiple meetings and got a thorough analysis with sound recommendations and a well-defined action plan to implement them.
The Technical DD went far beyond what I expected for a VC investment review. It wasn't just an assessment, it was a genuine sharing of experience and advice aimed at helping us achieve better results. Highly recommended for any founder.
After five deep-dive sessions, Nicolas from Above the Clouds delivered a highly relevant technical audit report to Babysittor. He took the time to debrief the findings thoroughly with all our key stakeholders, ensuring total alignment. What stood out most was the post-audit support; Nicolas remained engaged and continued to offer valuable insights well after the mission was officially completed.
This audit was a game-changer for my engineering team. It provided a clear roadmap to address our technical weaknesses and opened our eyes to the full potential of AI-assisted coding.
An excellent investment with clear ROI. No regrets—thank you very much Nicolas.
Technical DD for VC investment in Cybersecurity. Process / delivery: The report was delivered quickly and within the promised timelines.
Communication was straightforward and quick, I particularly appreciated that the points I had raised upfront were incorporated in a structured way (you can tell the report is designed to support decision-making, not just to tick boxes).
Above The Clouds supported us through a tech due diligence as part of our fundraising process, and the experience proved extremely valuable. The exercise was very structuring: it allowed us to take a step back on our technical organization and gain a deeper understanding of our overall environment from architecture to processes and methodologies.
The analysis provided highly relevant insights, both on our strengths and on areas to improve, which will serve as a solid foundation to guide our priorities and effectively structure the next stages of our development.
During our fundraising round, our investors brought in Above The Clouds to conduct a Tech Due Diligence. We had the chance to work with a team that truly understands the challenges and realities of startups, and who tailored their analyses and questions to our specific situation. From the very beginning, Above The Clouds was extremely well-organized and quickly identified the key areas to examine. Each aspect was reviewed in dedicated sessions with a rigorous and thorough methodology. They assessed our entire technical ecosystem, from infrastructure and data management, to the API, mobile application, security, and even team organization.
Their observations and recommendations helped us better identify our weaknesses and take concrete steps to address them. Above The Clouds combines professionalism with genuine human qualities, making them a partner we wholeheartedly recommend.
We reached out to Above the Clouds during a key turning point for BigCaptain: the transition from a startup to a scale-up. As our SaaS product grew, we began to notice that our overall development velocity and quality were starting to decline. We decided to bring in Above the Clouds on a fractional CTO consultancy mission to help us realign and strengthen our R&D organization.
They started with a thorough audit that pinpointed clear, actionable areas for improvement. Impressed by their accuracy and strategic insight, we extended the mission to the implementation phase, during which they supported us in transforming every critical aspect of our R&D operations, from organization and methodology to architecture, code quality, and testing. A few months after implementing these actions, we've seen a remarkable improvement in our team's effectiveness, cohesion, and output. The results are tangible, and we now have a clear roadmap for continued progress.
Beyond their technical and strategic expertise, what truly stood out was the human quality of the Above the Clouds team. Their transparency, commitment, fair play, and constant drive for excellence deeply resonated with our own values at BigCaptain and made the collaboration both effective and genuinely enjoyable. Above the Clouds didn't just help us grow, they helped us grow better.
The Tech Due Diligence performed by Above The Clouds exceeded our expectations. Their detailed analysis highlighted not only critical areas for immediate improvement, such as optimizing the booking engine for scalability and addressing technical debt, but also provided a clear roadmap for evolving our platform's architecture. The focus on observability, scalability, and long-term maintainability resonated deeply with our goals. Their recommendations have since served as a practical checklist for our team, guiding decisions around refactoring and prioritizing tasks.
What impressed me most was their desire to not only address the technical aspects but also to delve deeply into the business side of things. This holistic approach ensured that the technical recommendations were fully aligned with our strategic objectives and operational realities.
Beyond its technical value, this audit played a crucial role in strengthening the confidence of our VC investors, offering them a clear view of our platform's readiness to scale and a solid foundation for their continued support. It gave them the peace of mind to not only maintain but deepen their commitment to our growth journey. I highly recommend this service to any company seeking actionable insights and a robust technology strategy.
Above The Clouds played a strategic role in both building our IT team and structuring our internal operations. Beyond recruitment, they brought clarity, rigor, and a strong execution mindset to our organization. Their technical expertise, paired with a pragmatic and entrepreneurial approach, makes them a trusted partner for companies looking to scale efficiently and deliver results.
On a personal level, collaborating with Nicolas Lair was an excellent experience, he is highly competent, professional, and a pleasure to work with. I would strongly recommend Above The Clouds to any organization seeking long-term impact.
Above The Clouds carried out an excellent technical due diligence as part of one of our recent investments. They combined deep technical expertise with a pragmatic approach, focused on both business and people. We were very pleased with the quality and relevance of their assessment and recommendations. We highly recommend Above The Clouds to any VC investor for their technical due diligence.
Before investing in a startup, we ask Above The Clouds to conduct thorough technical due diligence, ensuring the quality of the technology and highlighting key areas of concern. Their team provides valuable recommendations, which greatly benefit the company receiving the audit report. The feedback from entrepreneurs is always excellent, and the perceived value is very high.
With senior developers and Fractional CTOs who combine technical expertise with business acumen, Above The Clouds brings a rare and valuable blend. They approach every project through an entrepreneurial lens, delivering practical and tailored solutions. We also collaborate with them on fractional CTO missions, where they help our portfolio companies structure their teams, optimize methodologies, and recruit the right talent. They have the ability to build teams and solid processes from scratch before handing over the reins.
Above The Clouds is highly professional, diligent, and reliable. I would recommend them without hesitation, confident that the quality of their work will always be outstanding. Working with their team is both enriching and enjoyable, on both a professional and personal level.
As part of the development of our mobile application, one of Above The Clouds' fractional CTO helped us define the technical specifications, identify potential agencies, and supervised the selection process to choose the most relevant partner for our needs. Throughout the development, they supported us by reviewing the code and ensuring that the agency respected its commitments. Their technical and project management expertise was invaluable, helping us make the right choices while ensuring the agency properly fulfilled its mission. The team's availability and efficiency are key elements for a dynamic start-up like ours.
We carried out a second mission with Above The Clouds to develop a new version of our mobile application. They helped us identify the optimal architecture as well as the most relevant technologies. They then built a team of specialised freelancers, allowing us to be more agile and reduce costs. Throughout the process, Above The Clouds ensured code quality and consistency of technical choices. This enabled us to deliver a bug-free product with optimised development and maintenance costs.
Our team worked closely with Above The Clouds during the technical due diligence of our B2B SaaS company. They conducted in-depth interviews with our key resources, analyzed source code, and reviewed internal documentation.
The due diligence was highly detailed, and the report provided gave us many actionable insights on how to improve our procedures, enhance agility, and clearly identify our next priorities. It was a pleasure working with Above The Clouds, and I would highly recommend them for any Tech Due Diligence.
Our experience working with Above the Clouds has been fantastic. Essentially, we re-developed our educational music app, O-Generator, to become OGenPlus. From understanding our goals, objectives and budget, to finding the right technical solutions (admin tool, music app), building a prototype (custom interface / SVG graphics, etc.), creating and leading a custom / specialised team, launching the product in a tight time frame we have been so impressed.
We continue to work with Above the Clouds improving the SLA. Good communication, flexibility, technical ability and creativity are the key components to working on a project like this. Above the Clouds are exemplary in all these areas. OGenPlus has been nominated for the Music & Drama National Awards for Outstanding Educational Resource in 2025. Our relationship working closely with Above the Clouds has contributed to where OGenPlus is now.
We worked with the Above the Cloud team for our technical due diligence, part of our fundraising process, and the experience was excellent from start to finish. The conversations and deep dives were smooth, open, and collaborative. The final report was extremely valuable, not only from a technical standpoint but also in terms of business context and organizational processes.
It's rare to have the opportunity so early in a startup's journey to step back, reflect, and thoroughly review your technology and workflows. Working with Above the Cloud made that process insightful, constructive, and genuinely rewarding. We learned a lot and came away with improved processes and technology.
We were supported by one of Above The Clouds' Fractional CTO during a major transition within our company: migrating our technology to a white-label solution. Their team took the time to understand our business goals, provided a clear tech overview, and even helped us write the tender to select the right partner.
After years of mixed guidance from various agencies and developers, we trusted Above The Clouds' analysis because it was 100% business-focused, enabling us to make smart, sound decisions. Their follow-up was impeccable, with the added bonus of excellent communication - a rare quality in this industry. We are very pleased to have benefited from their 360-degree business vision, and we wouldn't hesitate to work with them again.
Above The Clouds supported us with great professionalism and friendliness. Their approach was both efficient and pragmatic: the recommendations they provided were not only highly relevant but also immediately actionable within our organization. This support allowed us to move quickly on our priorities while maintaining a clear vision of the next steps ahead.
We hired Above The Clouds to organise multiple workshops for our tech and product team, such as product vision & strategy and technical analysis of product & methodologies. Their work was meticulous, they took the time to analyze thoroughly rather than jumping straight to solutions, ensuring a solid understanding of the project before making recommendations. Their approach was neutral and non-prescriptive, allowing the company to step back and reflect without being forced into predefined solutions.
I really appreciated their positive and understanding attitude, their ability to act as a mediator, and their support in high-level reflections such as aligning vision, business, and strategy. Their technical expertise was consistently praised, even beyond what was directly applied during the workshops.
I worked closely with Above The Clouds' team of full stack architects and developers for 5 years on client projects from 2013 to 2018. Our main projects included Groovy Music, a children's music learning and creativity app, and the MusicFirst Application Cloud, a user authentication and management system that became a central hub for many of the client's apps - still accessed every day by thousands of educational users.
The team at Above The Clouds are excellent communicators. They quickly understand client needs and create clear, meaningful development pathways that give all stakeholders visibility into deliverables, timeframes, and costs. They have the rare ability to prototype UI in real time while also thinking deeply about the technical challenges required to make features stable and scalable in production environments. Over the years working together, Above The Clouds developed a broad expertise in large-scale systems - both from an organisational perspective and through refining the development methodologies needed to build robust yet flexible, scalable platforms.
I wholeheartedly recommend Above The Clouds and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with them again.
I worked with Above the Clouds while at the Music Sales Group on a platform called Soundwise, which provided online support for printed music publications. The product was delivered efficiently and on budget, with Nico and team providing excellent ongoing support and a great user experience. Above the Clouds are a pleasure to work with: responsive, positive, and always bringing creative solutions to problem solving.
Average response time: same business day.

