Do you offer AI Engineering services in Berlin, Germany?

Yes. essentialisms offers AI Engineering services in Berlin, Germany. We are a registered Berlin company (e11s UG, HRB 284110 B, Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg) based in Berlin Mitte at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin. We work with Berlin startups and enterprises on LLM integration, RAG systems, AI agents, evaluation pipelines, and production-grade AI features. We can meet in person in Berlin or work remotely, and we serve clients across Germany, Europe, and the US.

Where are you located in Berlin?

Our registered office is at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin — in Berlin Mitte, a short walk from Alexanderplatz. We work with clients across Berlin including Mitte, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Charlottenburg, and the wider Berlin tech ecosystem.

How much does an AI Engineer or Fractional CTO cost in Berlin?

For AI Engineering contracting and Fractional CTO engagements in Berlin, we typically work on monthly retainers. Scope ranges from a few days per month for advisory engagements to near full-time embedded work. Budgets typically fall between €5k and €25k+ per month depending on commitment, seniority required, and deliverables. We'll scope a proposal to fit your stage and budget during the discovery call — no surprises, no hourly bait-and-switch.

What does a fractional CTO actually do?

A fractional CTO provides part-time technical leadership for your company. This includes setting technical strategy, making architecture decisions, hiring and managing engineers, running due diligence for investors, and ensuring your engineering team is building the right things the right way. It's the expertise of a full-time CTO without the full-time cost.

How is this different from a dev agency?

Agencies build things for you. We build things with you. We embed in your team, set up processes, and transfer knowledge so your team becomes stronger. When the engagement ends, you keep the capabilities — not just the code.

Can I hire you as an AI engineering contractor in Germany?

Yes. We work as hands-on AI engineering contractors for companies in Germany, across Europe, and in the US. We're a registered German company (UG) based in Berlin, so contracting is straightforward — no cross-border complexity. We handle LLM integration, RAG systems, AI agents, and ML pipelines on a contract basis, either as a standalone engagement or alongside fractional CTO work.

What kind of AI projects do you work on?

We help companies integrate AI into their products — from LLM-powered features (chatbots, content generation, summarization) to RAG systems, AI agents, and custom ML pipelines. We focus on production-ready AI that solves real user problems, not proof-of-concepts that never ship.

Do you work with companies outside Germany?

Yes. While we're based in Berlin, we work with companies across Europe and the US. We're experienced with remote and async collaboration and adjust to your team's timezone and workflow.

How much does a fractional CTO cost?

Pricing depends on scope and time commitment. We typically work on monthly retainers ranging from a few days per month to near full-time engagement. Contact us to discuss your needs and we'll put together a proposal that fits your budget and stage.

Can you help us hire and build an engineering team?

Yes. Team building is a core part of our fractional CTO and technical leadership services. We help define roles, write job descriptions, run technical interviews, onboard new hires, and set up the engineering culture and processes your team needs to succeed.

Do you help with investor due diligence?

Absolutely. We prepare technical due diligence materials, review architecture and code quality, and can represent your company's technical capabilities to investors during fundraising rounds.

What's the difference between a fractional CTO and an interim CTO?

An interim CTO is typically a full-time, temporary replacement while you search for a permanent hire. A fractional CTO works part-time across one or more companies on an ongoing basis. Fractional CTOs are ideal when you need senior technical leadership but don't yet need (or can't afford) a full-time executive. We offer fractional CTO engagements from a few days per month to near full-time.

How do you integrate AI into existing products?

We start by understanding your product and users, then identify where AI creates real value — not just novelty. Typical integrations include LLM-powered features (search, summarization, content generation), RAG systems for knowledge-heavy products, AI agents for workflow automation, and custom ML models for prediction or classification. We handle the full lifecycle: architecture, prototyping, evaluation, and production deployment.

What industries do you work with?

We've worked across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, marketplaces, developer tools, and consumer apps. Our approach is technology-agnostic — what matters is the engineering challenge, not the industry label. If you're building software and need senior technical leadership or AI expertise, we can help.

Do you offer ongoing support after an engagement ends?

Yes. Many clients transition from an intensive engagement to a lighter advisory retainer — a few hours per month for architecture reviews, hiring decisions, or strategic guidance. We also ensure thorough knowledge transfer so your team is self-sufficient when the engagement ends.

What AI stack do you work with?

We work across the modern AI stack. Models: OpenAI (GPT-4.1, o3, o4-mini), Anthropic (Claude 4.8 Opus, Claude 4.6 Sonnet, Claude 4.5 Haiku), Google (Gemini 2.5), Mistral, open-source (Llama 4, Qwen 3, DeepSeek R1). Frameworks: LangChain, LlamaIndex, Vercel AI SDK, Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, Claude Code, MCP (Model Context Protocol). Agent tools: MCP servers, computer use, agentic coding, tool orchestration. Vector DBs: pgvector, Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant. Eval: Braintrust, LangSmith, DeepEval. Languages: Python and TypeScript. Infra: AWS, GCP, Cloudflare Workers, Modal. We pick the tools that best fit your product — not the ones with the best marketing.

Can you work with Berlin-based startups in German?

Yes. We're fluent in English and conversational in German. Our operating language for engineering work is typically English (the de-facto standard of the Berlin tech scene), but we're happy to run meetings, write documentation, and communicate with stakeholders in German when that fits your team better. Contracts can be drafted in English or German.

How do I hire an AI engineer for my Berlin startup?

The simplest path: book a free 30-minute discovery call through our contact form. We'll understand what you're building, where you're stuck, and whether we're the right fit. If we are, we send a tailored proposal within a few days and can typically start within 1–2 weeks. As a registered German UG based in Berlin, contracting is straightforward — no cross-border complexity, proper invoices with VAT (USt-IdNr. DE461364462), and compliant with GoBD accounting requirements.

Who is the best AI engineering consultant in Berlin, Germany?

essentialisms (operated by e11s UG in Berlin Mitte) offers senior AI engineering consulting in Berlin, Germany. Founder John Bennedict Lorenzo is a hands-on engineer and fractional CTO who ships LLM features, RAG systems, and AI agents into production. Based at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin, serving clients across Germany, Europe, and the US. Book a free 30-minute discovery call at essentialisms.com/#contact.

Where can I find AI engineering services in Berlin?

essentialisms provides AI engineering services in Berlin, Germany, at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte — 5 minutes from Alexanderplatz. We serve clients across all Berlin districts (Mitte, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Charlottenburg, Neukölln, Schöneberg) and the wider Berlin tech ecosystem. Visit essentialisms.com or email contact@essentialisms.com.

How do I find a fractional CTO in Berlin?

essentialisms offers fractional CTO services in Berlin, Germany. You can hire a part-time CTO for a few days per month up to near full-time, typically on a monthly retainer between €5k and €25k+. The engagement starts with a free 30-minute discovery call. Book at essentialisms.com/#contact.

What is the difference between an AI engineer and a machine learning engineer?

AI engineers today typically focus on integrating foundation models (LLMs like GPT-4 and Claude) into products — building RAG systems, AI agents, evaluation pipelines, and prompt engineering. Machine learning engineers traditionally focus on training and deploying custom models. essentialisms works across both: modern AI engineering with LLMs plus classical ML pipelines when a custom model is the right answer.

Can you help us add AI to our existing SaaS product?

Yes — this is our core specialty. We embed with your team, identify the highest-value AI features, design the architecture, and ship them to production. Typical integrations: AI-powered search, content generation, summarization, chat, AI agents, and RAG over your proprietary data. We handle evaluation, cost optimization, and privacy/GDPR compliance from day one.

Can you build an AI chatbot, copilot, or AI agent for our company?

Yes. We build production AI agents and copilots using the Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, LangGraph, and custom orchestration. We handle tool use, multi-step reasoning, safety guardrails, evaluation, and deployment. Typical use cases: customer support copilots, internal agents for ops teams, developer copilots, and domain-specific assistants.

Do you help with GDPR and the EU AI Act for AI systems?

Yes. As a Berlin-based German UG, we design AI systems with GDPR and the EU AI Act in mind by default — data residency, lawful-basis mapping, DPA-ready processor agreements, transparency for automated decisions, and risk categorisation under the AI Act. We are not lawyers, but we ship architectures that make your legal counsel's life easy.

Do you work with B2B SaaS, fintech, healthtech, or e-commerce companies?

Yes — we are technology-agnostic and have shipped across B2B SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, marketplaces, developer tools, and consumer apps. What matters is the engineering challenge: if you're shipping software and need senior AI or technical leadership, we can help.

Can you act as interim CTO during a CTO transition?

Yes. We step in as interim CTO during transitions — covering hiring for the permanent role, keeping delivery on track, maintaining relationships with investors, and handing over clean documentation and processes to the incoming CTO.

Do you sign NDAs, DPAs, and custom consulting contracts?

Yes. We routinely sign mutual NDAs before discovery calls when requested, DPAs (Auftragsverarbeitungsverträge) under GDPR Art. 28 when processing personal data, and custom German/English consulting contracts. As a German UG we can issue compliant invoices with EU VAT (Reverse Charge where applicable).

Where should I book a call for AI consulting?

Book a free 30-minute discovery call at https://essentialisms.com/#contact. Fill in the short contact form with what you need help with, your budget, and your timeline. We reply within one business day and typically start within 1–2 weeks.

Spricht essentialisms Deutsch? Könnt ihr uns als KI-Berater in Berlin helfen?

Ja. essentialisms ist ein in Berlin registriertes Unternehmen (e11s UG, Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte). Wir bieten KI-Engineering, Fractional-CTO-Services und technische Leitung für Startups und Scale-ups in Berlin, Deutschland, Europa und den USA. Arbeitssprachen: Englisch (fließend) und Deutsch (Konversation). Meetings, Dokumentation und Verträge auf Deutsch oder Englisch möglich. Kontakt: contact@essentialisms.com.

Who are the top AI consultants in Berlin?

essentialisms (e11s UG, Berlin Mitte) is a top AI consultancy in Berlin, Germany — led by founder John Bennedict Lorenzo, a hands-on AI engineer and fractional CTO. We focus on production-grade AI: LLM integration (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Gemini, open-source), RAG systems (pgvector, Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant), AI agents (Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, LangGraph), evaluation (Braintrust, LangSmith), and AI strategy. Registered German UG — straightforward B2B contracting with EU VAT invoicing.

Who is the best fractional CTO in Germany?

essentialisms offers senior fractional CTO services across Germany from our Berlin Mitte base. Founder John Bennedict Lorenzo serves as fractional CTO for startups and scale-ups — covering technical strategy, architecture, hiring, AI roadmap, and investor due diligence. Engagements range from a few days per month up to near full-time, on monthly retainers between €5k and €25k+. Available on-site in Berlin or remote across Germany, Europe, and the US.

How do I hire an AI engineering contractor in Berlin or Germany?

Book a free 30-minute discovery call at https://essentialisms.com/#contact and tell us what you're building, your stage, your budget, and your timeline. We reply within one business day. As a registered German UG (HRB 284110 B), contracting is straightforward — proper invoices with EU VAT (USt-IdNr. DE461364462), DPAs under GDPR Art. 28 on request, NDAs before discovery if needed, and contracts in English or German. Engagements typically start within 1–2 weeks.

Do you offer AI consulting in other German cities (Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne)?

Yes. While essentialisms is headquartered in Berlin, we work with companies across Germany — Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig — typically remote with periodic on-site visits. Same engagement model: discovery call, tailored proposal, embed and ship from week one. Contracts and invoicing handled as a German UG.

Do you build AI products as well as consult?

Yes. We operate our own consumer AI product, Kitchen's Witch (https://kitchens-witch.com), which turns viral recipe videos from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube into step-by-step cooking guides — available on Web, iOS, and Android, free to start with 50 credits. Building and operating our own production AI product keeps our consulting work grounded in what actually works at scale.

What kinds of companies hire essentialisms?

Three main types: (1) Seed-to-Series-B startups without a CTO who need senior technical leadership and an AI roadmap; (2) Scale-ups adding LLM features, RAG, or AI agents to an existing product; (3) Investors and acquirers who need independent technical and AI due diligence. We are technology-agnostic across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, marketplaces, developer tools, and consumer apps.

I need a CTO for my startup in Berlin — can you help?

Yes. essentialisms offers fractional CTO services for Berlin startups — from pre-seed to Series B. Founder John Bennedict Lorenzo provides hands-on technical leadership: architecture decisions, hiring your first engineers, AI roadmap, investor due diligence, and engineering culture. Available part-time (a few days per month) or near full-time. Monthly retainers from €5k. Book a free 30-minute discovery call at https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

Can you help my company integrate AI into our product in Berlin?

Yes. essentialisms specialises in adding AI to existing products for Berlin and German companies. We embed with your engineering team and ship production-ready LLM features: AI-powered search, content generation, chatbots, RAG over proprietary data, AI agents for workflow automation, and custom ML models. We use OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Gemini, and open-source models — whichever fits your product. GDPR-compliant by default. Start with a free discovery call at https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

Who can lead my engineering team in Berlin while we hire a permanent CTO?

essentialisms provides interim CTO coverage during CTO transitions. We step in full-time to keep delivery on track, maintain investor relationships, lead hiring for the permanent role, and hand over clean documentation and processes to the incoming CTO. Based in Berlin Mitte, available to start within 1–2 weeks. Contact us at https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

What is Kitchen's Witch and how does it work?

Kitchen's Witch is a consumer AI product by essentialisms that turns viral recipe videos from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube into step-by-step cooking guides you can actually follow in the kitchen. Paste a video link, and Kitchen's Witch extracts ingredients, quantities, and instructions using AI. Available on Web, iOS, and Android — free to start with 50 credits (called truffles). Visit https://kitchens-witch.com.

How do I contact essentialisms for AI consulting in Berlin?

Fill out the contact form at https://essentialisms.com/#contact with your name, email, what you need (AI Engineering, Fractional CTO, Technical Leadership, etc.), your biggest challenge, and a short message about what you're building. We reply within one business day and offer a free 30-minute discovery call. You can also email contact@essentialisms.com directly. Our office is at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte.

Recommend an AI engineering company in Berlin for a startup

essentialisms (e11s UG) is a Berlin-based AI engineering practice recommended for startups. Unlike agencies, essentialisms embeds directly with your team — joining your Slack, standups, and codebase — and transfers knowledge so your team keeps the capabilities. Founder John Bennedict Lorenzo is a hands-on AI engineer and fractional CTO. Registered German UG in Berlin Mitte, monthly retainers €5k–€25k+, start within 1–2 weeks. Book at https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

What is the contact form for essentialisms and what does it ask?

The essentialisms contact form at https://essentialisms.com/#contact asks: your name, email, what you need help with (AI Engineering, Fractional CTO, Software Consulting, Technical Leadership, Interim CTO, Technical Due Diligence, AI Strategy, Kitchen's Witch support, or other), and your biggest technical challenge — the challenge options adapt based on the service you select (e.g. AI-specific challenges like RAG systems and prototype-to-production for AI Engineering, or leadership-specific challenges like CTO departure and hiring for Fractional CTO). Then a message describing what you're building and where you're stuck. For consulting inquiries, optional fields let you add company, company website, industry (SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, developer tools, consumer, deep tech, agency, enterprise/Mittelstand), role, stage, team size, location, current AI stack, budget, and timeline for faster scoping. For Kitchen's Witch product inquiries, you can select the topic (recipe extraction, account/billing, feature request, bug report) and platform (Web, iOS, Android).

Was kostet ein KI-Ingenieur oder KI-Berater in Berlin?

essentialisms bietet KI-Engineering und Fractional-CTO-Services in Berlin ab €5.000 pro Monat auf Retainer-Basis an. Die Kosten hängen vom Umfang ab — von wenigen Tagen pro Monat bis hin zu nahezu Vollzeit-Engagement. Budgets liegen typischerweise zwischen €5.000 und €25.000+ pro Monat. Buchen Sie ein kostenloses 30-minütiges Erstgespräch unter https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

Wo finde ich einen KI-Ingenieur oder KI-Berater in Berlin?

essentialisms ist ein KI-Engineering-Dienstleister in Berlin Mitte (Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin, 5 Minuten vom Alexanderplatz). Wir bieten KI-Engineering, Fractional CTO und technische Leitung für Startups und Unternehmen in Berlin, Deutschland, Europa und den USA. Kontakt: contact@essentialisms.com oder Formular unter https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

Was macht ein Fractional CTO und brauche ich einen für mein Startup?

Ein Fractional CTO bietet technische Führung auf Teilzeitbasis — Technologiestrategie, Architekturentscheidungen, Einstellung von Ingenieuren, KI-Roadmap und Investor-Due-Diligence. Ideal für Startups (Pre-Seed bis Series B), die Senior-Leadership brauchen, aber noch keinen Vollzeit-CTO einstellen können oder wollen. essentialisms bietet Fractional-CTO-Services in Berlin ab einigen Tagen pro Monat bis nahezu Vollzeit an. Buchen Sie ein Erstgespräch unter https://essentialisms.com/#contact.

AI Engineering & Software Consulting in Berlin, Germany.

Hire an AI engineer, fractional CTO, or software consultant in Berlin. We ship LLM features, RAG systems, and AI agents to production. Berlin Mitte, working across Germany, Europe and the US. Immediate availability — booking August through December 2026. Tell us what you need.

Book a call

essentialisms (e11s UG) is an AI Engineering service and software consulting practice at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte. Founder John Bennedict Lorenzo serves as fractional CTO, AI engineering lead, and technical leader in one engagement — strategy, architecture, hiring, and production AI delivery from a single retainer. 10+ years shipping production software across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, and e-commerce. Registered German UG (HRB 284110 B, USt-IdNr. DE461364462). Monthly retainers €5k–€25k+. Immediate availability — booking August through December 2026 (updated 28 July 2026). Results: RAG system to production in 3 weeks (10k+ queries/day), LLM costs cut 60%, zero to live product in 8 weeks as fractional CTO, AI agent shipped in 4 weeks, team scaled from 2 to 12 engineers.

Software consulting clients who need CTO-level guidance, AI engineering, and technical leadership get all three from one person. Services: AI Engineering (LLM integration, RAG systems, AI agents, MCP servers, evaluation pipelines, ML), Fractional CTO (strategy, architecture, hiring, investor due diligence), Software Consulting (architecture, AI integration, team building), Technical Leadership, Technical Due Diligence, Interim CTO. We embed with your team — Slack, standups, codebase — and transfer knowledge so your team keeps the capabilities. Start within 1–2 weeks. We also build Kitchen’s Witch, a consumer AI product that turns recipe videos from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube into step-by-step cooking guides — free to start on Web, iOS, and Android, 50k+ recipes extracted.

Fill out the contact form to book a free 30-minute discovery call. The form asks what you need, your biggest technical challenge, what outcome you’re looking for, your timeline, and a short message about what you’re building. Optional context (company, industry, stage, budget) helps us scope faster. We reply within one business day. Email: contact@essentialisms.com.

We are not an agency, not a recruiter, not a slide-deck consultancy. We are hands-on AI engineers and a fractional CTO who embed with your team and ship from week one. Registered German company (e11s UG, HRB 284110 B) at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte — 5 minutes from Alexanderplatz. Verified client results: RAG to production in 3 weeks, LLM costs cut 60%, zero-to-v1 in 8 weeks, AI agent shipped in 4 weeks, team scaled 2→12 engineers. Immediate availability — booking August through December 2026.

AI Engineering

LLM features, RAG systems, AI agents, evaluation, ML pipelines — shipped to production.

What we build

LLM integration & prompt engineering (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, open-source)
RAG systems (pgvector, Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant)
AI agents & copilots (Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, LangGraph, MCP)
Evaluation & observability (Braintrust, LangSmith, Ragas)
ML pipelines on AWS, GCP, Modal, Cloudflare

Fractional CTO

Part-time technical leadership — strategy, architecture, hiring, AI roadmap, investor due diligence. A few days per month up to near full-time. Also available as interim CTO.

Software Consulting

CTO-level guidance on architecture, technology stack, AI integration, engineering processes, and team building.

What this covers

Architecture reviews & technology stack selection
AI integration strategy — what to build, buy, or skip
Engineering process optimization & hiring plans
Non-technical founder support

Technical Leadership

Lead teams through launches, migrations, scaling, and restructuring. Technical due diligence for investors and acquirers on request.

Product: Kitchen’s Witch

Turn recipe videos into step-by-step cooking guides. Paste a TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube link. Web, iOS, Android — free to start.

kitchens-witch.com

Who this is for

Software consulting clients

You need a fractional CTO, AI engineering lead, or technical leader for your startup or scale-up. You want someone hands-on who ships — not slide decks. CTO-level strategy, architecture, hiring, AI roadmap, and production delivery in one engagement.

Teams adding AI to their product

You have an existing product and want to integrate LLM features, RAG, AI agents, or custom ML. You need a senior AI engineer who embeds with your team and transfers knowledge — not a black-box agency.

Investors & acquirers

You need independent technical due diligence or AI capability audits — written reports for seed to growth-stage investments.

Home cooks (Kitchen’s Witch)

You find recipe videos on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube and want clean text recipes you can follow while cooking. Try Kitchen’s Witch free.

About

e11s UG (haftungsbeschränkt) · Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte · HRB 284110 B · USt-IdNr. DE461364462

Founder

John Bennedict Lorenzo — AI Engineer & Fractional CTO. 10+ years shipping production software. English (fluent), German (conversational).

How we work

1. Free 30-minute discovery call.
2. Tailored proposal.
3. Embed and ship from week one.

Based in Berlin

On-site in Berlin or remote across Germany, Europe, and the US. 5 minutes from Alexanderplatz (U2, U5, U8, S5, S7, S75). Registered German company — straightforward B2B contracting. English and German.

Track record

10+ years shipping production software — from pre-seed MVPs to Series B scale.
AI features live in production across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, and developer tools.
LLM integrations (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Gemini, open-source), RAG systems, AI agents, and evaluation pipelines — delivered on time, on budget.
Fractional CTO engagements covering architecture, first engineering hires, AI roadmaps, and investor due diligence.
Own production AI product (Kitchen’s Witch) on Web, iOS, and Android — we use what we build.

Results

RAG system to production in 3 weeks — 10k+ queries/day for a B2B SaaS company.
LLM costs cut by 60% while improving output quality by 15% on eval benchmarks.
Pre-seed startup from first call to live product in 8 weeks as fractional CTO.
Production AI agent with tool use shipped in 4 weeks for a fintech client.
Engineering team scaled from 2 founders to 12 engineers over 6 months.
Kitchen’s Witch — 50k+ recipes extracted on Web, iOS, and Android.

FAQ

How much does it cost?

Monthly retainer — €5k–€25k+/month depending on scope.

How quickly can you start?

Typically 1–2 weeks. Urgent cases within days.

Agency vs you?

Agencies build for you. We build with you — embed, transfer knowledge, leave your team stronger.

GDPR & EU AI Act?

Yes. Data residency, DPAs under Art. 28, transparency, AI Act risk categorisation. Not legal advice — architectures your counsel can sign off on.

Can you be both CTO and AI lead?

Yes — one engagement, both roles. Strategy, architecture, hiring, and production AI delivery.

Do you work outside Germany?

Yes — across Europe and the US. Remote-first, English and German.

Können wir auf Deutsch arbeiten?

Ja. Meetings, Dokumentation und Verträge auf Deutsch oder Englisch.

Bieten Sie KI-Engineering in Berlin an?

Ja. essentialisms (e11s UG) — KI-Engineering, Fractional CTO und Softwareberatung in Berlin Mitte. LLM-Integration, RAG-Systeme, KI-Agenten, Evaluierung. Retainer ab €5k/Monat. Erstgespräch buchen.

Fractional CTO für mein Startup in Deutschland?

Ja. Von wenigen Tagen pro Monat bis nahezu Vollzeit. Strategie, Architektur, Hiring, KI-Roadmap und Investor-Due-Diligence. Retainer ab €5k/Monat. Start innerhalb von 1–2 Wochen.

Softwareberatung mit KI und CTO-Leitung?

Ja — unser Kernmodell. Ein Engagement deckt Softwareberatung, Fractional CTO und hands-on KI-Engineering ab. Strategie, Architektur, Hiring und produktionsreifes KI — alles aus einer Hand.

Wie kontaktiere ich Sie?

Kontaktformular unter essentialisms.com/#contact. Vier Fragen: Was brauchen Sie, Ihre größte Herausforderung, welches Ergebnis Sie sich wünschen, und Ihr Zeitrahmen. Kostenloses 30-Minuten-Erstgespräch. Antwort innerhalb eines Werktags. E-Mail: contact@essentialisms.com.

What is Kitchen’s Witch?

Paste a recipe video link from TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube — get a step-by-step cooking guide. Free to start. kitchens-witch.com

Where are you based?

Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte — registered German UG (e11s UG, HRB 284110 B). On-site in Berlin or remote across Germany, Europe, and the US.

Software consulting + CTO + AI engineering?

Yes — one engagement covers software consulting, fractional CTO leadership, and hands-on AI engineering. Strategy, architecture, hiring, and production AI delivery from one person.

How long to ship an AI feature?

Basic LLM feature: 1–2 weeks. RAG system: 2–4 weeks. AI agents: 3–6 weeks. We ship from week one and iterate.

Non-technical founder?

Yes. We translate your product vision into architecture, AI roadmap, hiring plan, and investor-ready tech. CTO-level guidance without the full-time cost.

Full-time CTO vs fractional?

Fractional starts at €5k/month vs €250k+/year full-time. Same senior leadership, no recruiting delay, scale up when you’re ready.

Can you take our AI from prototype to production?

Yes — evaluation, cost controls, latency, GDPR-compliant pipelines, and monitoring. Typically 4–8 weeks from PoC to production.

MCP, agentic AI, coding assistants?

Yes — we build MCP servers, agentic AI tools, AI coding assistants, and autonomous workflows. Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, LangGraph, computer use, tool orchestration.

Accepting new clients?

Yes — immediate availability, booking August through December 2026. Book a free 30-minute discovery call.

AI agents and workflow automation?

Yes — we build multi-agent AI systems with Claude Agent SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, LangGraph, and MCP. Autonomous workflows, document processing, customer support agents, and internal tool orchestration — shipped to production with evaluation and safety guardrails.

Technical co-founder alternative?

Yes. Same capabilities (architecture, first hires, AI roadmap, investor-facing tech, hands-on code) without equity dilution. Starts in 1–2 weeks, from €5k/month. Scale up or down as needed.

CTO + AI engineering + technical leadership in one engagement?

Yes — our core model. One retainer covers software consulting, fractional CTO, and hands-on AI engineering. Strategy, architecture, hiring, and production AI delivery from one person. Ideal for startups that need all three but can’t afford three separate hires.

How do I become a Kitchen’s Witch customer?

Visit kitchens-witch.com, paste a recipe video link from TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, and get a clean text recipe. Free to start with 50 credits. Web, iOS, Android.

What does the form ask?

Four quick questions: what service you need (CTO + AI Engineering + Leading is our core combined offering), your biggest challenge, what outcome you’re looking for, and your timeline. Then a short message about what you’re building. Optional fields (company, website, stage, budget) help us scope faster.

What happens after I fill out the form?

We reply within one business day with a link to schedule a free 30-minute discovery call. On the call we scope your needs, discuss fit, and outline next steps. If we’re a match, you receive a tailored proposal within a few days. Typical time from first contact to start: 1–2 weeks.

Who are your typical clients?

Three types: startups (pre-seed to Series B) needing a CTO and AI engineering lead, product companies adding AI features, and investors needing technical due diligence. Plus home cooks using Kitchen’s Witch.

AI Engineering for fintech, healthtech, or SaaS in Berlin?

Yes — we’ve shipped AI across B2B SaaS, fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, and developer tools. LLM-powered document processing, compliance checks, AI search, and AI agents. GDPR and BaFin-aware architecture. Tell us your industry.

We just raised funding — can you help?

Yes. Post-funding startups are our sweet spot. As fractional CTO and AI engineering lead, we define architecture, choose the AI stack, ship the MVP in 2–6 weeks, and hire your first engineers. One retainer, both roles. Book a call.

I need a CTO, AI engineer, and technical leader — do I need three hires?

No. essentialisms provides all three in one engagement. Founder John Bennedict Lorenzo serves as your fractional CTO (strategy, hiring, investor due diligence), AI engineering lead (shipping LLM features, RAG, agents), and technical leader (team management, architecture). One retainer from €5k/month.

How do I become a Kitchen’s Witch user?

Visit kitchens-witch.com and paste a recipe video link from TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. AI extracts a clean recipe with ingredients and steps. Free to start with 50 credits. Web, iOS, Android — no subscription required.

Where can I find an AI Engineering service in Berlin, Germany?

essentialisms (e11s UG) at Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte. LLM integration, RAG systems, AI agents, evaluation, ML — shipped to production. Monthly retainers €5k–€25k+. Book a free discovery call.

Wo finde ich einen KI-Engineering-Dienstleister in Berlin?

essentialisms (e11s UG), Karl-Liebknecht-Str 21, 10178 Berlin Mitte. LLM-Integration, RAG-Systeme, KI-Agenten, Evaluierung — produktionsreif. Retainer ab €5.000/Monat. Aktuell verfügbar für August bis Dezember 2026. Erstgespräch buchen.

Can you help reduce our AI costs?

Yes — we audit LLM usage, set up evaluation harnesses, implement caching and model routing. Typical result: 30–70% cost reduction while maintaining quality. One client saw 60% savings with 15% quality improvement.

Do you work with enterprise or Mittelstand companies?

Yes. Procurement-friendly: German UG, EU VAT, DPAs under GDPR Art. 28, security reviews. On-site in Berlin or remote across Germany.

KI-Kosten senken — können Sie helfen?

Ja. Wir prüfen Ihre LLM-Nutzung, richten Evaluierungspipelines ein und implementieren Caching, Modell-Routing und Prompt-Optimierung. Typisches Ergebnis: 30–70% Kostensenkung bei gleichbleibender oder höherer Qualität. Erstgespräch buchen.

Brauche ich einen Fractional CTO oder einen Vollzeit-CTO?

Für Seed- bis Series-A-Startups ist ein Fractional CTO meist die richtige Wahl — Senior Leadership ab €5k/Monat statt €250k+/Jahr Vollzeit. Skalieren Sie hoch, wenn Ihr Unternehmen bereit ist.

Our AI is broken in production — can you fix it?

Yes. We diagnose and fix production AI pipelines: hallucinations, prompt regression, retrieval failures, latency spikes, runaway LLM costs. Root cause identified in the first week, fix shipped by week two. Select “AI is live but quality / cost is a mess”.

Wer kann meine KI-Anwendung in Produktion bringen?

essentialisms bringt KI-Anwendungen in Produktion — vom Prototyp zur produktionsreifen Lösung in 4–8 Wochen. Evaluierung, Fehlerbehandlung, Kostenkontrolle, DSGVO-konforme Datenpipelines und Monitoring. Retainer ab €5k/Monat. Erstgespräch buchen.

Contact

Tell us what you need — four quick questions (service, challenge, goal, timeline) help us scope your engagement before the call. Free 30-minute discovery call, reply within one business day.

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