Real-World Product Experience. Enterprise-Grade Execution.

QiQi Labs provides end-to-end technical leadership—from embedded firmware and IoT hardware to cloud-powered automation, AI integration, and product strategy consulting. Founded by Ernest W. Quarles, Atlanta-based embedded systems engineer and enterprise technology strategist with over 20 years of experience.

We combine hands-on engineering with executive-caliber consulting to help clients rapidly develop and scale intelligent products and digital systems.

With QiQi Labs, you don’t just get code — you get clarity, velocity, and results.

Our Services

1. Fractional CTO Support & Engineering Consulting
Senior, short-term technical leadership for organizations navigating platform risk, delivery stalls, or strategic inflection points.

  • Fractional or interim CTO engagement during critical growth or transition phases
  • Technical direction, architectural decision-making, and delivery stabilization
  • Executive advisory across engineering, product, vendors, and platform strategy
  • Alignment of technology decisions with real business risk and priorities

2. Platform & Architecture Advisory
Independent, experience-driven guidance when systems need clarity — not more tooling.

  • Architecture assessment and risk triage for complex platforms
  • Platform road mapping aligned to business outcomes
  • Evaluation of cloud, data, and integration strategies with long-term impact in mind
  • Support for teams facing scale, reliability, or integration pressure

3. Connected Systems & Embedded Advisory (Depth When It Matters)
Specialized support for organizations where software decisions must survive real-world constraints.

  • Embedded and edge system architecture guidance (power, connectivity, reliability)
  • Firmware and hardware-software integration advisory
  • Risk review for IoT and connected-device platforms
  • Executive-level translation between embedded realities and platform strategy

4. Selective Build & Execution Support
Hands-on involvement only when it materially accelerates outcomes.

  • Targeted engineering support to unblock delivery or validate direction
  • Prototyping or implementation to de-risk architectural decisions
  • Guidance on production readiness, scalability, and operational resilience

About the Founder

Ernest W. Quarles brings senior technical leadership shaped by decades of experience across both startup and enterprise environments. His background spans embedded and connected systems, enterprise software platforms, mobile application development, and large-scale cloud ecosystems—giving him a rare, end-to-end perspective on how complex systems are designed, built, and sustained over time.

In enterprise contexts, Ernest has led and advised on multimillion-dollar platform initiatives, including modernizing ecommerce and content management systems, building mobile and web applications at scale, and architecting cloud-native solutions across AWS and the Adobe Experience Cloud. His work has supported global teams, high-traffic platforms, and organizations where reliability, integration, and long-term maintainability are non-negotiable.

Alongside this enterprise experience, Ernest maintains deep hands-on expertise in embedded and connected systems. He has designed and delivered products incorporating BLE, LoRa, GPS, and cloud-connected device platforms, working across hardware-software boundaries where real-world constraints shape architectural decisions.

This combination—enterprise software depth and embedded systems rigor—drives a leadership approach grounded in realistic tradeoffs, explicit ownership, and architectures that hold up under real operating conditions. Whether stepping in as a Fractional CTO or advising executive teams, Ernest focuses on aligning technology decisions with business intent and helping organizations move forward with confidence.

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Credentials

  • MBA – Georgia State University
  • BSEE – Georgia Institute of Technology
  • BS Physics – Morehouse College
  • SAFe® Certified – Scaled Agile Practitioner

Who We Work With

  • Founders and product teams launching embedded or IoT-led startups
  • Enterprises modernizing embedded infrastructure or leveraging connected devices
  • Organizations seeking seasoned technical leadership without full-time CTO overhead