About Hanabi: Fractional CTO Services That Drive D2C Growth
Why Hanabi Exists
Technology leadership shouldn’t be reserved for enterprises with full C-suite budgets. Hanabi was founded to bridge that gap—delivering strategic technical expertise to ambitious D2C brands, subscription businesses, and growth-stage companies who need senior technology leadership without the permanent overhead.
The name ‘Hanabi’ (花火) is the Japanese word for fireworks—a combination of ‘Hana’ (flower) and ‘bi’ (fire). In Japanese culture, fireworks represent moments of collective beauty and connection. This philosophy drives our approach: creating exceptional digital experiences that forge meaningful connections between brands and their audiences.
The Hanabi Approach: Precision-Engineered for Performance
Fractional CTO services built on two decades of hands-on experience and leadership. Hanabi’s methodology combines strategic vision with operational execution—developed through scaling e-commerce and subscription businesses from £20M to £30M+ in revenue.
Our focus is singular: providing C-level technology strategy and implementation expertise to organisations where hiring a full-time CTO isn’t viable or necessary. Whether preparing for technical due diligence, leading platform migrations, launching customer retention programmes, or building high-performing technical teams—Hanabi delivers measurable outcomes.
Evidence-based decision-making meets F1-inspired precision. Like a Formula 1 team optimising performance through data and iteration, we analyse your technology infrastructure systematically, identify bottlenecks, and implement solutions that compound competitive advantage.
Leadership Background
Neil Bradley, Founder & Fractional CTO
Neil Bradley brings 20+ years of technology leadership across e-commerce, subscription businesses, and digital transformation. His career spans roles from hands-on development for global brands to Head of Technology positions where he reported directly to CFOs and presented technology roadmaps to boards and PE investors.
Trusted advisor at C-Suite level, known for translating complex tech into business value and leading high-performing teams with an open, collaborative style. Proven success in major strategies, integrations, and re-platforming projects across industries. Passionate about solving problems with fit-for-purpose roadmaps, inspiring teams, and driving growth through innovation.
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Key achievements include
Recognised by clients for bridging technical complexity with business strategy, Neil has collaborated with PwC on IT strategy development, managed third-party vendor relationships worth significant operational investment, and championed Agile methodologies in organisations transitioning to mature technology practices.
£10M+ revenue contribution through strategic technology initiatives at Absolute Collagen, a PE-backed D2C wellness brand scaling from £20M to £30M
20% revenue growth post-launch at Cloud Nine Hair through managed e-commerce transformation and Shopify re-platforming
65,000+ subscribers served through the Absolute Rewards loyalty programme, built and scaled under his technical leadership
15+ large-scale platform rebuilds across sectors including beauty, wellness, beverages, and consumer goods
Recognition
Neil Bradley was with Absolute Collagen for several years and I highly recommend him as he is technically strong and has a strong commercial approach.
Frances Russell - CEO at Absolute Collagen
Neil has consistently brought practical technical expertise, alongside strategic technological insights, that have fundamentally helped contribute to, build and deliver digital first strategies.
Neil is in my opinion a rare commodity, given the breadth of his knowledge, professional integrity and genuine want to add value.
I would thoroughly recommend Neil to any fast growing e-commerce business; where the balance between technological opportunity and budget, is needing both experienced advice and careful management.
Julian Casstles - CFO, COO, CIO, NED, Investor, Advisor
I had the pleasure of working with Neil over a two year period at Cloud Nine Hair. In particular he worked closely with myself and my team on a number of system integration projects where Neil demonstrated his knowledge and experience of connecting ecommerce platforms, with ERP and CRM solutions.
His resilience, attention to detail and willingness to address issues and find solutions contributed heavily to the success of these projects. Neil connected well with the systems team showing himself to be a very helpful, responsive team player.
Sam Pettman - Group Business Systems Director at Cloud Nine Hair
Who We Serve
Hanabi partners with D2C founders, CEOs, and C-suite leaders facing critical technology inflection points:
Preparing for investor scrutiny: Ensuring technology infrastructure withstands technical due diligence during funding rounds, mergers, or acquisitions
International expansion: Building scalable, resilient digital foundations for multi-market growth
Subscription optimisation: Reducing churn, increasing customer lifetime value, and eliminating operational friction
Leadership gaps: Providing interim or fractional CTO expertise when full-time appointments aren’t justified or available
Previous experience encompasses work with Absolute Collagen, Cloud Nine, Virgin, Mars Drinks, and other recognised brands—from startups requiring MVP guidance to established businesses undertaking digital transformation.
Working With Hanabi
When you engage Hanabi, you work directly with Neil Bradley—not an account manager, not a junior consultant. If additional specialists are required, they’re vetted collaborators trusted to deliver with the same rigour and accountability.
This isn’t high-volume agency work. Hanabi is structured for strategic partnerships with organisations requiring clarity, technical direction, and someone who understands both architectural detail and commercial imperatives.
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