The team
We are a multidisciplinary group of professionals united by a shared commitment to advancing artificial intelligence through rigorous research, thoughtful design, and responsible innovation. Our team combines technical expertise, strategic insight, and ethical focus to deliver intelligent solutions that create meaningful impact.
Mark Pittaway, Co-Founder
Mark Pittaway, whose vision and work formed the genesis of Simplifii, is an entrepreneur and strategist with a track record in building high-growth technology platforms.
He co-created SyftForce as part of Syft (acquired by Indeed for $100M) and secured a £54M enterprise contract. He has held senior roles at BT, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle, including CTO for BT’s Broadmind project and CLO at Sun Microsystems/Oracle, where he oversaw training and education across the full technology stack and a state-of-the-art data center as well as other entrepreneurial leadership roles.
He recently served as Chairman of Mantec Group, a UK industrial group with factories and offices in India and China, where he led the company’s digital transformation and technology strategy.
Mark is the founder of HAUS, a fintech-enabled B2B marketplace for sustainable construction.
John Drury, Co-Founder
John Drury is an entrepreneur developer of technology focused ventures spanning commodities, finance to aerospace.
He has founded and led companies in investment banking, telecommunications, near space sensor platforms and 3DVR software, as well as currently serving as Executive Chairman of Sumatics, a Dubai based private investment group.
Earlier in his career, he was Group Chief Executive of County NatWest Investment Bank in London, at the time the largest investment bank in Europe, Senior Executive Director at Capel Court Investment bank and the founder and worldwide head of J. Aron Petroleum at Goldman Sachs in New York, during which time he also privately owned two seats on NYMEX.
He spent his early career with Cargill in Australia, Switzerland and the USA respectively. John is the co-founder of Simplifii, speaks Spanish and French and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Australia.
Dr. John Davies, Chief Science Officer
John Davies is the Chief Digital Officer at Smart City Consultancy Ltd (SMCCL), a leading UK firm specializing in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and the full spectrum of smart city applications.
Joining SMCCL as its second employee in August 2023, he has played a pivotal role in its rapid growth.
He was a Distinguished Engineer and senior manager in BT’s Applied Research department, where he led pioneering R&D programs in the Internet of Things, drones, robotics, and related technologies and applications. In 2000, Professor Davies spun a company out of BT, serving as its Chief Technology Officer. Following its acquisition, he rejoined BT while retaining an advisory role in the spin-off.
He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester and a frequent keynote speaker at both industry and academic conferences. Professor Davies has authored more than 100 scientific publications, is the inventor on several patents, and holds the distinction of Fellow of the British Computer Society as well as being a Chartered Engineer.
Patrick Krahenbühl, Chief Finacial Officer
Patrick W. Krähenbühl is a seasoned senior executive with over 30 years of experience across diverse industries. He currently serves as Managing Director of TNF Investments Limited, an investment firm based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and Director of RealTyme Technology Limited, a DIFC-based developer of secure communications technology.
Additionally, Patrick is Co-Managing Partner of Sumatics International FZC in Ajman, UAE, a boutique private equity firm.
Previously, Patrick served as Vice President of Operations at All Here, an organization merging meditation practice with science and advanced technology, and as Regional Director of Quants Vermögensmanagement AG, an independent wealth management and multi-family office based in Nuremberg, Germany. He also founded and led Medoozle, a UAE-based online platform connecting doctors with patients, and co-founded Collinear Networks, a California-based telecommunications company specializing in Free Space Optics technology, where he served as CFO.
Patrick has held several high-profile financial leadership roles, including serving as Group Treasurer of ABB Ltd, and later CFO of ABB Group’s North American Power business. He was also CFO of Suzlon Energy, a global wind power company, and has been CFO for private and private equity-backed cleantech firms as well as a group providing fuel and logistics services to U.S. armed forces in Central Asia.
With professional experience spanning Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the U.S., Patrick brings a global perspective to his work. He holds a master’s degree in economics and computer science from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Patrick speaks English, German, French and passable Italian and Afrikaans.