About
I'm Shen Nan (Shane) — I embed with early-stage startups and VC portfolios as a fractional CTO & CPO. I shape what to build, then build it.
I've sat on both sides of the table — as a startup CTO building under pressure and as a VC engineer evaluating hundreds of startups. Previously the sole engineer at Iterative, an early-stage VC fund with 70+ portfolio companies across Southeast Asia, where I built the fund's entire technical backbone. Before that, I co-founded
ZOLO (Antler-backed) as CTO.
How I Work
For VC Funds
One relationship, many companies
- Embed as technical leadership across your portfolio
- Technical due diligence for investment decisions
- Architecture reviews and hands-on building for portfolio companies
- Team upskilling and technical advisory programmes
For Startups
Your fractional CPTO
- Join as your fractional CTO & CPO for a defined period
- Product strategy and technical architecture
- Hiring your first engineers
- Hands-on shipping alongside your team
- Leave you with a team and system that works without me
Team
I bring a bench of specialists when the work calls for it.
Cheryl Ang
Design Thinker / Product Designer
Eliza Ho
Service Design / UX Research
Jet New
AI Research / ML Engineering
Training & Developing Teams
I upskill the teams I work with. I've trained 500+ professionals across 7+ institutions in applied AI, data engineering, prompt engineering, and software development — from half-day workshops to multi-week programmes.
NTU PaCE
AcademyNTU's Academy for Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) consolidates Nanyang Technological University's continuing education capabilities. It offers credit-bearing courses stackable to specialist and FlexiMasters certificates, SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes, and corporate training — equipping working professionals across Singapore with cutting-edge skills.
What I did
Delivered applied AI and software engineering modules for working professionals, covering practical implementation of AI systems, prompt engineering workflows, and modern development practices.
Tamkeen
AcademyTamkeen is Bahrain's national labour fund, established under the Economic Vision 2030 to empower the private sector. It finances training programmes, professional certification, and wage support — having trained over 17,000 jobseekers and supported 38,000+ enterprises across the kingdom.
What I did
Conducted AI and robotics training programmes for Bahraini professionals as part of Tamkeen's national workforce upskilling initiatives, helping prepare the local talent pool for in-demand technology roles.
BSD Education
AcademyBSD Education is a global EdTech company founded in Hong Kong in 2013, designing and delivering digital skills curricula for schools worldwide. Their programmes span AI, data science, app development, and web development — reaching over 121,000 students with future-ready skills mapped to US, IB, and British academic standards.
What I did
Developed and delivered software engineering and DevOps curricula, teaching students modern development workflows, cloud infrastructure fundamentals, and deployment practices.
Preface AI
AcademyPreface is a Hong Kong-based tech education platform providing upskilling for individuals, corporates, schools, and NGOs. They train over 500 global corporations and deliver tech content to 60%+ of schools in Hong Kong, with programmes spanning AI, machine learning, and emerging technologies.
What I did
Led AI and applied machine learning workshops for corporate professionals, focusing on practical AI adoption strategies, prompt engineering, and building AI-powered workflows.
CuriousCore
AcademyCuriousCore is a Singapore-based corporate training provider specialising in human-centric skills. They deliver interactive programmes in UX design, service design, Gen AI, design thinking, data literacy, and digital transformation — available in hybrid, in-person, and online formats with SkillsFuture eligibility.
What I did
Delivered AI and cloud engineering training modules for corporate teams, bridging the gap between design-thinking approaches and technical implementation.
BCG RISE
CorporateRISE (Rapid & Immersive Skill Enhancement) is BCG's subsidised programme building high-demand business and digital skills. The 10–18 week programme leverages BCG's industry experts across tracks in business analytics, digital transformation, and AI — with capstone projects and mentoring.
What I did
Taught AI agents — covering architecture patterns, tool use, orchestration frameworks, and practical deployment of agentic AI systems for business applications.
JERA Global Markets
CorporateJERA Global Markets is a joint venture between JERA (Japan's largest power generation company) and EDF Trading, operating a comprehensive seaborne energy portfolio across LNG, coal, and freight markets with deep expertise in local, regional, and international energy trading.
What I did
Consulting engagement — worked with the team on technical strategy and systems architecture for their operations.