I help founders and CTOs make better technical decisions before they become expensive ones.

I'm Ricard Clau, a systems architect and technical advisor based in Barcelona. I've spent 15+ years building cloud infrastructure and leading engineering teams, including as CTO at Holaluz. Since founding my consultancy, Rigor Alliance, in 2018, I've worked with companies across Europe and the US on architecture, infrastructure, and technical leadership.

My work ranges from technical strategy and independent reviews to hands-on implementation. I specialize in scalable systems, cloud cost optimization, and infrastructure that meets security and compliance requirements. I also help teams modernize existing systems and integrate AI into production.

Scalable Systems · FinOps · Compliance · AI Integration

What I do Get in touch

Since 2018 Independent engineering and advisory
Rigor Alliance

5 → 40 Engineering team grown as CTO at Holaluz

Ansistrano Creator of an open-source deployment tool
2,400+ GitHub stars

What I do

I work with founders, CTOs, and engineering teams on technical strategy and delivery. Depending on what you need, I can provide an independent assessment, design a solution, or work with your team to implement it.

Technical Strategy & Architecture

I review and design software architectures, with a focus on scalability, performance, and maintainability. For an existing system, I identify bottlenecks and prioritize improvements. For a new platform or rebuild, I help define the architecture and a practical migration plan.

Cloud, DevOps & FinOps

I design, build, and improve cloud infrastructure, from deployment pipelines and observability to security and reliability. I help teams understand and reduce cloud costs, and implement the infrastructure controls needed to meet compliance requirements. My core tools include AWS, Terraform, and Ansible.

AI Engineering & Agentic Systems

I help teams identify useful applications for AI, then build and integrate them into products and internal workflows. This includes agentic systems, AI-assisted modernization of existing codebases, and local model deployment when privacy or infrastructure requirements call for it.

Technical Due Diligence & CTO Advisory

I assess architecture, infrastructure, and engineering practices ahead of investments and acquisitions, identifying technical risks and likely remediation work. I also advise CTOs on team structure, technical hiring, priorities, and communication with boards and business stakeholders.

Selected clients

When to bring me in

Your system is struggling with growth, and the team needs a plan to scale it.
Cloud costs are rising, and you need to understand what to change.
A customer or audit requires security and compliance controls your infrastructure doesn't yet support.
You have an AI prototype and need to make it reliable in production.
You're planning a rebuild, investment, or acquisition and need an independent technical assessment.
Your CTO or engineering lead needs experienced support with technical and team decisions.

Background

Independent consulting

I founded Rigor Alliance in 2018 and have since worked with companies across Europe and the US, combining technical advisory with engineering delivery. My clients span sectors including energy, fintech, mobility, and healthtech.

Engineering leadership

As CTO at Holaluz from 2017 to 2018, I grew the engineering team from 5 to 40 people. We migrated infrastructure to AWS, introduced CI/CD, and replaced manual processes with automation while the business reached €14M in monthly revenue. Before that, I worked on backend systems and infrastructure at companies including Hailo, SocialPoint, and Emagister in London and Barcelona.

Open source & community

I created Ansistrano in 2014, an open-source tool for deploying applications with Ansible, now with 2,400+ GitHub stars. I also founded and organize DevOps Barcelona, and have spoken at conferences including PHP UK, SymfonyCon Madrid, and Sunshine PHP, as well as local meetups. In 2026, I participated in a panel at Talent Arena.

Let's talk about what you're working on.

Tell me what you're building, what needs to improve, or which decision you're working through. I can help with an independent assessment, technical direction, or hands-on implementation.

[email protected]

Based in Barcelona. Working with companies across Europe and the US.