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Francesco Sessa

Backend Engineering, Data Engineering, AI and Startup Consulting to help you build secure, scalable digital products that are ready to grow.

I work alongside you with technical rigor, reliable infrastructures and essential design to build high-performance applications that are simple to use and quick to evolve.

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Services

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Technology consulting

Strategy and technology, without the complexity. I help you analyse the existing architecture, define a clear roadmap, and make sustainable technical decisions. My goal is to reduce risks and waste, accelerate execution, and give you practical, experience-based guidance.
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Custom software development

From idea to working product. I build tailored applications with solid backends, fast interfaces, and reliable APIs. I integrate automated tests, CI/CD, and monitoring tools to ensure long-term quality and continuity.
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Software products

Ready-to-use tools. I offer solutions I have developed to streamline operations, analytics, and automation. They’re designed for quick adoption, with clear costs and direct support when needed.
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Managed hosting and cloud

Reliable infrastructure, no headaches. I manage your hosting and cloud environments with continuous monitoring, automatic backups, and secure configurations. Optimized for performance and full GDPR compliance — ideal for projects that must stay online at all times.

Companies that chose me

Accenture Italiaonline Oliver James Consulcesi Aulab Qubitdata Hubwater Gitaigo Pinkroad
…and many more!

My Working Method

1. Initial analysis: understanding goals and real context

During the initial phase, I gather all essential information: business goals, priorities, urgencies, and the state of your technical infrastructure.

This analysis is designed to immediately provide a clear direction for startups and companies in Italy or across Europe that want to build a reliable digital product.

The outcome is a shared understanding of the problem and the value to be created, enabling us to choose the most effective technical approach.

2. A clear and scalable technical roadmap

After the analysis, I define a roadmap that is easy to understand and execute: what to build, in which order, and with what impact.

The focus is on scalability and sustainable technical decisions, helping reduce future costs and ensuring stable long-term growth.

This approach is ideal for early-stage startups, teams without an internal CTO, or companies looking to optimize an existing product.

3. Collaboration with selected professionals for end-to-end support

I act as your main technical point of reference, but when additional skills are required, I involve trusted senior collaborators: designers, frontend developers, data specialists, and cloud experts.

This model allows me to support startups at 360°, providing end-to-end capabilities for almost any digital project — from MVPs to enterprise architectures.

You work with a single point of contact, while still benefiting from the strength of a complete team when needed.

4. Validated SaaS ecosystem + Managed Cloud Hosting

Alongside custom development, I provide access to a validated ecosystem of SaaS tools that I’ve designed to help startups and companies work more efficiently from day one.

This includes my Managed Cloud Hosting service, built for teams that need a fast, secure, monitored infrastructure without dealing with technical management. It’s an ideal option for growing businesses that require scalable hosting, performance optimization, and direct support.

Together with other SaaS tools — such as operational dashboards, automated workflows, data management systems, and onboarding tools — this ecosystem enables faster startup times, reduced initial costs, and the flexibility to evolve custom features whenever needed.

5. Continuous quality: testing, security, and stability

Quality is not something added at the end — it’s integrated into the process from day one.

I implement automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, observability, application security, and solid cloud best practices to guarantee stability and continuity.

This approach ensures software that is ready to scale and compliant with European standards, including high performance and GDPR considerations.

6. Continuous growth and dedicated technical support

Once the product is launched, I continue to support your growth: new features, integrations, refactoring, scalability improvements, and technical direction.

Whether you’re expanding in Italy or into broader European markets, my goal is to provide consistent technical continuity and a growth path without friction.

Your technical foundation becomes an accelerator for your evolution, not a limitation.

Selected Startup Projects

Fractional-CTO

HubWater

HubWater has transformed the way people drink water in workplaces and public spaces — eliminating single-use bottles and offering a smart, sustainable and trackable experience.

The platform combines filtered water dispensers and smart bottles, a mobile app with consumption tracking, IoT sensors and environmental reporting, enabling users and companies to reduce plastic usage, monitor consumption and measure their actual impact.

As Fractional-CTO, I designed and built the technical infrastructure supporting the ecosystem: from real-time data collection from IoT devices to the scalable backend architecture, data processing, storage, APIs, monitoring, security and compliance. I defined the data model, the ingestion and normalization pipeline, alerting and reporting systems, and the deployment and maintenance procedures. The result: a robust, secure system ready to scale with the startup, capable of handling many users and devices without compromising quality or performance.
Visit hubwater.it
Fractional-CTO

Gitaigo

Gitaigo has created an online psychology platform that bridges distances and makes continuous, flexible and tailored psychological support accessible.

The platform offers a guided questionnaire to find the ideal psychologist, personalized subscription plans, video sessions, messaging, scheduling and a simple, intuitive user experience — making psychological wellbeing accessible anywhere.

As Fractional-CTO, I supported the technical definition and implementation of the software architecture: scalable backend, APIs, user management and privacy, infrastructure for video sessions and payments, deployment automation, monitoring, security and compliance. I developed pipelines, defined data models, ensured flow integrity and built a robust infrastructure allowing the platform to grow and support both users and professionals without compromising on quality. The result: a market-ready product, stable and capable of sustaining the rapid scaling of the startup.
Visit gitaigo.it
Fractional-CTO

Pinkroad

PinkRoad has built an Italian platform dedicated to making urban travel safer for women — turning the smartphone into a tool of trust, community and protection.

With PinkRoad, users can view shared routes in real time, join walks or trips on foot, by taxi or public transport with other verified women, chat with travel companions, set emergency contacts and request rapid assistance when needed. The goal is to reduce fear, vulnerability and the sense of isolation many women experience in city streets.

In my role as Fractional-CTO, I defined and built the app’s technical architecture: scalable backend, user management and security, infrastructure for real-time matching and geolocation, authentication/identity-verification systems, APIs, data storage and privacy compliance. I managed backend flows for route creation and tracking, real-time sync of app states, user chat, secure emergency handling and integration with external services (e.g., maps, notifications, geolocation systems).

Thanks to this solid and scalable infrastructure, PinkRoad can deliver a reliable and safe service even with a rapidly growing user base, ensuring performance, data protection and long-term feature evolution.
Visit pinkroad.it

Frequently asked questions

How does working with you actually work? What’s the process?
I always start with an analysis call to understand goals, context, and priorities. Then I run a short technical assessment to identify risks and opportunities. From there we define the roadmap, working methods, and deliverables. I share ongoing updates, technical decisions, and estimates transparently.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within 1–2 weeks. For urgent cases, I can start sooner with an analysis phase or targeted actions to stabilize infrastructure and processes.
Can you take over a project started by someone else?
Yes — it’s very common. I run a code and infrastructure audit, identify issues, and define a stabilization plan. From there, I can evolve the product without interrupting what’s already in production.
Will the solutions you build integrate with our existing systems?
Absolutely. I design APIs, services and data pipelines that integrate seamlessly with your current systems: CRM, cloud, databases, internal software, and third-party tools. When needed, I build custom integrations to avoid friction or forced stack changes.
Do you offer a complete end-to-end service?
Yes. I’m a senior freelance engineer, but thanks to my network I can manage end-to-end projects: analysis, design, backend, frontend, cloud infrastructure, data engineering, QA and maintenance. I personally coordinate everything to ensure quality and technical consistency.
Do you work alone or with a team?
I directly handle architecture, backend, infrastructure, and technical direction. When additional skills are needed, I bring in trusted designers, frontend developers, data specialists, or other professionals. You always have a single point of contact: me.
How do you handle security, privacy, and compliance?
I apply best practices at both code and infrastructure level: encryption (TLS 1.3 / AES-256), MFA, isolated environments, audit logs, automatic backups and disaster recovery procedures. I use only GDPR-compliant providers and configurations.
Can you help us build an MVP?
Yes. I design and develop MVPs that are fast to build, easy to test, and ready to evolve. The goal is to reach the market quickly, validate the idea, and create a solid technical foundation for growth — without needing to rewrite everything later.
Do you support early-stage startups without an internal CTO?
Absolutely. It’s one of the scenarios I work with most often. I act as Fractional CTO: defining architecture, roadmap, priorities, development processes and infrastructure. I build the MVP, set up technical workflows, and prepare the team to scale.
How much does it cost to work with you?
It depends on complexity, urgency and level of involvement. I offer flexible models like monthly retainers, hourly packages or scope-based engagements. Before starting, I always provide a clear and transparent quote.

What clients say

Francesco is an incredible hardcore worker, efficient and super skilled. He helped my organisation throughout all the development of a industry changer IoT system which required a massive effort on the backend side.

Filippo Quercetti CEO HubWater

Francesco is a professional who conveys confidence, not only from the point of view of in-depth technical skills but above all thanks to his way of tackling the most complex challenges. I feel confident, in conclusion, in suggesting Francesco as a real added value for any development team.

Mattia Costa CEO HubWater

I was impressed by his capability of capturing and leveraging my personal feedback to the extent of evaluating and reviewing the ongoing services.I also appreciated his capability of smoothly entering and boosting multiSite development, and his very helpful and flexible attitude towards the team.

Matteo Gratton VP principal Designer at Barclays Corporate Banking