Ensygnia ramps up UK launch and plans global expansion
Adds ex-Hutchison 3 CFO to Board
Expands customer service team as roll-out accelerates
London, December 12, 2013: Ensygnia, the mobile payments company backed by Telefonica through its Wayra business accelerator initiative, today announced new additions to its main board and management team as the company gears up its service roll-out and prepares for a major investment round as part of its global expansion.
Ian Cleverly, formerly the CFO of Hutchison 3 in Ireland, has joined Ensygnia as its Chief Financial Officer and has been appointed to its Board. He adds strong strategic and financial expertise and credibility to the company as it plans to launch operating businesses in the USA and China and prepares for a major investment round in 2014.
Cleverly is a proven hands-on technology and telecoms CFO who led the investment of more than €530m in the 3 network in Ireland, and was also instrumental in the investment of a further €223m relating to the Government’s National Broadband Infrastructure development.
In addition to Hutchison 3, Cleverly has held senior financial positions at Meteor Mobile Communications, NTL (Virgin Media), Energis Communications and Procter & Gamble.
“Ian brings to the Ensygnia board not only tremendous experience of developing start-up organisations and building successful businesses across the UK and Europe, but also of attracting and managing significant investment funding,” said Ensygnia CEO Richard H Harris. “We are delighted to have secured someone of Ian’s industry credentials and stature to our main board.”
Ensygnia’s patented Onescan app – which enables consumers to go from looking to buying in less than ten seconds – is scheduled for general release as an Android App via Google Play and in the iPhone App store in the next few weeks. The company is also working on the integration of Onescan with its first retail customers as it ramps up for service roll-out.
At the same time as strengthening its Board, Ensygnia is also preparing for consumer uptake of Onescan by expanding its supporting management team, and appointing Pete Holley as Customer Experience Director.
Holley has more than 25 years experience in a wide variety of roles covering most aspects of product and project management and delivery – ranging from managing software products in start-ups to rolling out systems in global corporations.
Ensygnia CTO Matt Deacon said: “Pete specialises in acting as the vital link between the business, the technology and the customer. He will be invaluable helping us to define and prioritise the technical requirements to deliver a brilliant customer experience.”
About Ensygnia
Ensygnia (www.ensygnia.com) is the mobile interaction company behind the breakthrough Onescan omni-channel app. Onescan enables mobile payments online, in-store and on-the-go and has applications for log-in, authentication and mobile identity. In the payments world it allows customers and prospects to go from looking to buying in less than 10 seconds.
Ensygnia’s patented technology platform and service enables any connected device with a camera to interact and transact with any connected device with a screen. The company raised a total of $3.3m in its seed funding stages. As well as its investing management team, the company’s investors include Jesus College Cambridge, Rhoddy Swire of Pantheon Ventures, and Telefonica through its Wayra Business Accelerator Academy.
The company’s two granted UK patents for the Onescan process cover both log-in and payment applications. It has recently filed its patents in 59 countries worldwide. Recent awards include the GSMA Mobile World Congress where Ensygnia was voted one of the top three innovations likely to have greatest impact on global mobile industry over the next 10 years; Finalist in the Consumer Trust category at the Meffys; and a winner in the UK’s Smarta 100 Awards for Britain’s best and brightest new businesses.
