Atom CTO

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations director at a vendor and manufacturing company of pre-cooling equipment. We’re based in Latvia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with  Atom CTO?

Our company is growing quickly, so we needed a platform to process all the information related to our distributors. We used Excel in the past, but it was no longer sustainable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a planning stage and weekly meetings where we ideated the project. We talked about our requirements, the languages we’d use, and the overall look and feel we wanted to achieve with the platform. Then, they started working on it. 

They’ve built the desktop platform from scratch, working both in the design and development. The platform allows our distributors and clients to estimate our equipment's conditions and operational capacities in a certain timeframe. Since our equipment is reliable in the environment, we use historical weather data to predict how it’ll perform under different weather conditions. The platform basically automates this process and provides information about the energy efficiency and the equipment’s ROI, among other things.

What was the team composition?

We’ve worked with two project managers. They have a team of developers, but we can’t say how many.

How did you come to work with  Atom CTO?

One of my shareholders recommended them. He knew one of their managers from a previous work relationship.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about €25,000 (approximately $25,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2021, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’ve been very professional and responsive in terms of communications. They’re always attentive to our needs and challenges. We’re extremely satisfied with everyone that has been involved in this process.

In terms of the platform, we haven’t had bugs. We had an issue signing in, but it was a simple technical issue that they solved quickly.

How did Atom CTO perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent; the project managers are highly professional. They always provide a prompt reply and meet the deadlines timely. Overall, we’re satisfied in that regard.

We use Microsoft Teams as a tool and phone calls and video conferencing to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very reliable and responsive. Atom CTO has provided an excellent service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve met all of our expectations, so I honestly couldn’t say anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a dedicated person for the project, somebody who knows the project from beginning to end and can do the work. In many ways, the project's success depends on the client providing information, feedback, and so on. They need your input to make it work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of a startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atom CTO?

I had some development work already in place on the technology side such as apps and websites. In connection with that, I wanted to pick Atom CTO’s brain on the direction I was going. I was also hoping to get insights from the projects they had with other companies. On top of that, I was looking for pivot points I should consider before moving forward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve listened to what my company is and what problems I’m trying to solve. They've also asked high-level questions which are usually forgotten by startups like us. So far, they’ve examined my paycheck and dissected my technology expenses to determine my monthly technological needs. They also address certain things such as how we can get more funds, how we can increase our sales, how we can target the right customer base, and more. 

On top of that, they look at our development and design projects. We have a consulting relationship where they help us create pitch deck items and anything that can help us start from the beginning. In the next several months, we’re working towards presenting our pitch and approaching investors for funding.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with Patel (CFO & CIO).

How did you come to work with Atom CTO?

I joined a club here in DC, and it was essentially a subscription-based incubator where mentors join the program to give free advice to entrepreneurs and startups. One of Atom CTO’s partners was a member of that club, so I was able to hop on calls and ask them questions.

How much have you invested with them?

We haven’t paid anything for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing relationship began in April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve been fantastic because they help startups with limited funds. They’ve guided us in the right direction and have helped us adopt a cost-effective approach — that’s important because if we run out of funds, it’ll be tough to recover.

 Overall, they’ve given us a lot of information and honest feedback about where our business is lacking. Hopefully, we can get some funding and this project takes off so we can develop a long-term relationship with the team.

How did Atom CTO perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through Zoom calls. We also utilize Microsoft templates whether it be Excel or PowerPoint to dissect pitch pacts, financial spreadsheets and analyze different servers and ways to utilize the best products out there. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly care, and they want to make a difference. They’re giving their time to help and not expecting much in return. That shows that they’ve seen success in what they do. They put their time and energy to help startups, and their experience has helped us in a lot of ways.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. Their work has helped me pivot many times to set myself up for success.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prepare your points of discussion before the call. Additionally, if you have any documentation you want to discuss, give them at least a week or several days to review them. If possible, create bullet points of the topics you want to dive into during the discussion. That way, you’ll have effective communication instead of just talking in circles.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and director of Age Care Technologies, a startup I founded in 2010. We use the output of 30 years of international research to develop technology-enabled products that can improve the care of older people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atom CTO?

When we started the business, we developed a platform for the delivery of our unique tool. The platform is used to assess older people’s needs and help mobilize resources to address their priorities for support. However, I didn’t think that it was, with the subcontractors we’d used, fit for the purpose, so we worked with Atom CTO to make improvements. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AtomCTO began by looking into the existing platform and came up with a report detailing a series of recommended improvements rated high, medium, and low. I then asked them to undertake these improvements on an agreed schedule. 

They’ve been given all the codes to get administrative access to the platform, and we’re sent test versions of the system at every stage of development.

They’ve completed the diagnostic and have moved to the next phase to make further improvements. Right now, we’re discussing involving them in a bid for a research grant under our Industrial Challenge Fund, as this will help with the next stage of the platform development. 

What is the team composition?

There was a customer liaison, Jenny (Senior Business Analyst), who we have weekly calls with. There was also a principal engineer and two others that worked with him on this project.

It has become a strategic partnership between us, with Bhairav (Managing Director) acting as our virtual CTO. 

How did you come to work with Atom CTO?

I was put in touch with Atom CTO by recommendation from a business development coach. I was also given the name of their previous customer who was delighted by their services.

We let Atom CTO review the platform to offer improvements. I have some contacts at Intel whose engineers kindly agreed to review Atom CTO’s recommendations and advise me whether it was good and provided value for my money. They said that the proposal was both of those things and encouraged me to work with the team.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested around £25,000 (approximately $34,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began exactly a year ago, in April 2020. We have a strategic plan to undertake further work with Atom CTO when we have the funds to support it. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve been able to take reviews of the work, as it progressed, on a weekly basis. Upon testing, we’re satisfied to find that the system has improved and works both from a security and functionality point of view. On a regular basis, we’ve also gotten feedback from our main customer who uses the platform, and we incorporate their input into the way it is being developed. 

How did Atom CTO perform from a project management standpoint?

Atom CTO has been excellent and can’t be faulted. They’ve worked in a series of agreed sprints and conduct a weekly call with our head of communications. I join in when it’s necessary to make a strategic decision.

We use Microsoft Teams and receive reports through email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What distinguishes Atom CTO from other providers is the strong personal relationship we’ve developed with them. We’re able to go to Bhairav for other matters, like advice about how we could integrate our IT systems. He didn’t charge us for it since we’re looking to build a strategic partnership. 

We’re also working effectively with their project manager, Jenny, and the engineers involved, so at all levels, there has been a good relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they could do to improve their service. I’m 100% satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Atom CTO will definitely deliver. They are reliable, flexible, will exceed your expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a financial technology startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atom CTO?

We needed help with technology deployment. They build our systems and maintain them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atom CTO is building a customer facing web portal and a backend loan application processing system. They’re also working on a cloud-base data management housing system.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four of their founding members.

How did you come to work with Atom CTO?

I worked with them in a past. We developed a personal relationship and decided to continue working together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve accurately delivered what we’ve asked of them. Everything is successfully deployed.

How did Atom CTO perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good. We’ve had no issues with them. Their communication is clear and they deliver based on the scope of what’s required. Everything’s executed on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commercial awareness and practicality stand out. They have a high quality of work that’s executed quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at all. We’ve had no issues, which is why I always work with their development team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent about what you want and need. They’ve done many commercial projects across many industries and they know what works best.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-founder and Head of Operation of Accelerated Payments. Accelerated Payments is a global selective Invoice Finance provider with offices in Dublin, London and Toronto. We are using technology to create an efficient and easy to use funding experience for our customer and partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atom CTO, and what were your goals?

Accelerated Payments was rapidly growing its customer base and we were finding that our manual processes for tracking clients and invoices would start preventing us from maintaining the high level of service that we wanted for our clients. We therefore engaged in conversation with Atom CTO to develop an automated invoice financing platform that would support our growth and ambitions for a best in class invoice finance solution.

SOLUTION

How did you select Atom CTO and what were the deciding factors?

Two of the Accelerated Payments founders had worked with the managing Director of Atom CTO before and had the confidence from the get go on Atoms ability to deliver on Accelerated Payments Requirements.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

After an initial meeting with Atom, the Atom team was able to quickly produced a high level document of Accelerated Payments requirements. Open communication with relevant departments and refining of a workable document meant that we were able to produce a priority list of development areas. Due to the agile modular approach adopted we were able to have clear line of sight on the development phases and timelines and within a relatively short period of time we had the first statement of work ("SOW") signed off and development commenced.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had open communication with the managing director for the setup and construction of a clear development roadmap. During development our key contact was a project manager who co-ordinated regular meetings with testers and developers prior to sprint releases. When we had requirement to fast track some sprints or phases Atom was able to organise resources to make this possible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Atom has been our technology partner since inception and was an integral part in fast tracking our product release and ensuring that our vision for a best in class, customer centric platform was realised. Atom’s expert advice and structured development approach maintained our confidence in their ability to deliver. The Atom team are an absolute pleasure to work with and I highly recommend Atom for startups or companies who need to grow their business and expand their digital footprint.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Regular meetings and progress reports provided us with the visibility of the entire project from start to finish. Any delays or issues were quickly identified and suggestions on how to resolve were presented in a timely manner. Tools such as Microsoft Teams and Jira assisted in maintain this communication and visibility.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Atom was able to quickly grasp and share our vision for the Accelerated Payments platform and translate the business needs into tangible results. Their development approach meant that we were able to start benefiting from the platform incredible quickly and ultimately maintain our growth at no financial or reputational risk during the transition to move efficient process'. In addition, Atom was able to provide resources for maintenance and support while Accelerated Payments recruited an in-house IT team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I would of liked to have met the broader Atom team face to face but given the geographic spread of the team members this was not possible. It was however beneficial as we had almost 24h development and support on hand.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CRO of Decentral.ie a blockchain infrastructure and development company. We specialise in building highly performant distributed applications for enterprise.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atom CTO?

Interim Chief Technical Officer and Solution Architect.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop a strategy around and participate in the launch and operation of a number of Gen 3 Blockchains.

SOLUTION

How did you select Atom CTO?

Recommendation through our network.

What was the team composition?

Not to be disclosed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Project was successful and we have worked on a number of other initiatives since.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent communication and workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Solid team, with expert skills. They easily adapted to new technology trends.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No