James Vanhecke

CTO & Full Stack Developer – Axio (Dubai)

At Axio, I led the development of a CRM SaaS platform tailored for real estate agencies in the UAE market, with a focus on end-to-end lead generation and pipeline management—from social media ads to deal closing.

As both technical co-founder and lead developer, I was responsible for the full product lifecycle: from idea validation and MVP delivery to scaling and iteration based on client feedback.

Frontend:

I built responsive web and mobile interfaces using React and React Native, ensuring a seamless experience across platforms (iOS, Android, web). UI state was managed via custom hooks, with an emphasis on speed and usability.

Backend:

Using Node.js, I designed and developed a scalable backend with RESTful APIs, integrated with MongoDB. The system handled lead capture, agent workflows, and sales pipelines with real-time updates and notifications.

Lead Generation & Automation:

I implemented integrations with Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) and Google Ads to automate lead capture directly into the CRM. I also built tools to track ad performance and improve targeting through analytics.

Tech & Ops:

I set up CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, containerized the infrastructure using Docker, and deployed to cloud platforms. I handled security, monitoring, and performance tuning to ensure high availability.

As CTO, I also managed product direction, tech hiring, and cross-functional collaboration with sales and marketing teams. The CRM helped our clients increase lead conversion and better manage high volumes of inquiries in a fast-moving property market like Dubai.

This hands-on experience taught me how to align tech with business needs, ship fast without compromising quality, and build products that solve real problems at scale.

Smart E-commerce Platform for Hygiene & Cleaning Products – CleanPure.be

Led the full-stack development of a custom e-commerce platform focused on eco-friendly hygiene and cleaning products, with a key feature: a fully customizable subscription system.

Users can build recurring orders by selecting products and defining delivery frequency (weekly, monthly, etc.). A smart logic engine manages billing cycles, stock checks, and automated adjustments to subscriptions.

To enhance personalization, I implemented a product recommendation engine based on:

Customer behavior analysis (order history, frequency, usage patterns)

A dynamic onboarding questionnaire (surface types, sensitivities, cleaning habits)

This system uses simple supervised learning logic to suggest relevant products and adapt subscription offers.

The platform is built with:

React.js on the frontend

Node.js (Express) backend with modular architecture

AWS stack: Lambda (serverless functions), S3 (media storage), DynamoDB & PostgreSQL (data persistence)

I also developed an internal logistics dashboard for order fulfillment and stock management:

Real-time inventory tracking

Order preparation queue based on subscription schedules

Automatic label generation and order dispatch via BPost API integration

This project delivered a seamless UX, improved customer retention through intelligent subscriptions, and optimized logistics via an internal tool built for scalability and operational efficiency.