Best Fractional CAIO Firms: Boutique Team, Named Lead
5 fractional CAIO firms deliver through this model: Boutique Team, Named Lead.
Scored against our public methodology. The score stays the same on every page. Rank changes because the set of firms changes.
What to look for
Buying criteria
Ask how the firm serves buyers who want boutique team, named lead, who leads the engagement, and what the monthly CAIO rate covers. This page includes a boutique team.
Proof that matters
Ask for a named client for boutique team, named lead and a dated result. This edition records none on the firms below.
Common mismatch
CDO Advisors publishes a monthly CAIO rate. The other firms leave the monthly CAIO rate unpublished.
Typical engagement
Published monthly CAIO rates run from $7,500 to $18,500. A boutique team accounts for 5 of 5 firms.
Delivery mix
- Boutique team: 5
Ranked firms
| # | Firm | Best for | Why a fit | Evidence | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enterprises that want a Houston-based Microsoft firm, founded in 1997, for a virtual Chief AI Officer plus data and Copilot work. | Enterprises that want a Houston-based Microsoft firm, founded in 1997, for a virtual Chief AI Officer plus data and Copilot work. | No boutique team, named lead clients recorded in this edition. | 59 / 100 | |
| 2 | Founders who want a founder-led AI program with Sascha that includes a scoped fractional Chief AI Officer. | Founders who want a founder-led AI program with Sascha that includes a scoped fractional Chief AI Officer. | No boutique team, named lead clients recorded in this edition. | 55 / 100 | |
| 3 | Mid-market companies that want a fractional Chief AI Officer on a published monthly tier. | Mid-market companies that want a fractional Chief AI Officer on a published monthly tier. | No boutique team, named lead clients recorded in this edition. | 55 / 100 | |
| 4 | UK SMEs that want a part-time Fractional CMO, with Chief AI Officer support from the same team. | UK SMEs that want a part-time Fractional CMO, with Chief AI Officer support from the same team. | No boutique team, named lead clients recorded in this edition. | 41 / 100 | |
| 5 | Mid-market companies and private-equity portfolio teams that want a part-time Chief AI Officer. | Mid-market companies and private-equity portfolio teams that want a part-time Chief AI Officer. | No boutique team, named lead clients recorded in this edition. | 41 / 100 |
Scores on this page. EPC Group leads at 59. The Marketing Centre is at 41.
Boutique Team, Named Lead fractional CAIO pricing
Each row is a price the firm publishes or reports, with the source linked.
How we ranked these firms
- We started with the 5 firms in our CAIO index that deliver through this model.
- A firm qualifies when the engagement runs as boutique team, named lead.
- Each firm is scored out of 100: Track Record 25, Segment Fit 25, Pricing Transparency 15, Responsiveness & Access 20, Credentials 15.
- Ties go to the firm listed first in the index.
| Rank | Firm | Track Record | Segment Fit / ICP Clarity | Pricing Transparency | Responsiveness & Access | Credentials | Total | Ranking rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EPC Group | 204/5 | 153/5 | 31/5 | 123/5 | 93/5 | 59 | A 1997 founding lifts its Track Record score. |
| 2 | bosio.digital | 153/5 | 102/5 | 93/5 | 123/5 | 93/5 | 55 | Published pricing lifts its Pricing Transparency score. |
| 3 | CDO Advisors | 102/5 | 153/5 | 124/5 | 123/5 | 62/5 | 55 | Published pricing lifts its Pricing Transparency score. |
| 4 | The Marketing Centre | 102/5 | 102/5 | 31/5 | 123/5 | 62/5 | 41 | The buyer it names, uK SMEs that want a part-time Fractional CMO, with Chief AI Officer support from the same team, lifts its Segment Fit score. |
| 5 | LightSight AI | 51/5 | 153/5 | 31/5 | 123/5 | 62/5 | 41 | The buyer it names, mid-market CEOs and private-equity sponsors who want AI leadership without a full-time CAIO, lifts its Segment Fit score. |
Each bar splits the score across the five factors. A gray bar shows the total on its own.
- Track Record
- Segment Fit
- Pricing Transparency
- Responsiveness
- Credentials
- Total only
- Firms
- 5
- Top score
- EPC Group, 59
- Published price range
- $7,500-$18,500/mo
- Delivery
- boutique team
Questions from this page
Which fractional CAIO firms are listed for Boutique Team, Named Lead?
EPC Group (59), bosio.digital (55), CDO Advisors (55), The Marketing Centre (41), LightSight AI (41).
Which firm has the highest score for Boutique Team, Named Lead?
EPC Group, with a score of 59.
What monthly CAIO rates are published for Boutique Team, Named Lead?
CDO Advisors publishes $7,500 to $18,500 a month.
Which delivery models appear for Boutique Team, Named Lead?
This page includes a boutique team.
Last verified 2026-10-28. View changelog
- 2026-10-27Initial ranking for this role, ordered by overall score.
- 2026-10-28Added firms verified on their own sites and ordered the page by score.