A former BT executive who helped deliver Wi-Fi for the London 2012 Olympics has been appointed chairman of a Worcestershire tech firm.
Chris Bruce has joined Malvern-based FARx, an AI-driven biometrics company, to support its next phase of UK and international growth.
The appointment follows FARx securing £625,000 in seed funding through the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).
Clive Summerfield, CEO of FARx, said: “Chris’s combination of executive leadership experience, board expertise and deep connections within the technology sector will be invaluable as we continue to scale the business.
“He has an exceptional track record of building and growing technology organisations, while his leadership within the Cambridge technology community demonstrates his ability to bring people, innovation and opportunity together.
“We look forward to working with him as we accelerate our growth and expand internationally.”
Clive Summerfield, CEO at FARx (Image: FARx)
Mr Bruce brings more than 20 years of international experience in technology leadership, including as CEO of BT Openzone Wi-Fi, where he delivered connectivity for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
He also oversaw the rollout of Capital Wi-Fi, which expanded to more than 500,000 hotspots across London.
His career has included launching global services for enterprise customers in Europe, the US, and Asia, including the commercial launch of Telfort Mobile in the Netherlands.
He spent a decade on the board of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), influencing the global adoption of next-generation Wi-Fi technologies.
Mr Bruce said: “I am delighted to be joining FARx as Chairman at a time of strong momentum for the business.
“The company’s technology addresses one of the most critical challenges facing organisations today, how to securely verify identity in an era increasingly shaped by AI, deepfakes and sophisticated digital fraud.
“FARx has developed a genuinely innovative solution with significant global potential.
“I look forward to working with the team to accelerate growth, build strategic partnerships and help drive the company’s ambitious vision.”
In addition to his work with BT, Mr Bruce is a prominent figure in the Cambridge Deep Tech community, serving as a non-executive board director at Cambridge Wireless and led the launch of Cambridge Tech Week in 2023 as Chair of the Steering Committee.
His appointment comes at a time when organisations worldwide are seeking advanced solutions to counter identity fraud, deepfakes, and AI-driven cyber threats.
Recent research from Thales revealed that 59 per cent of organisations have already experienced a deepfake-related attack, underlining the growing urgency for more robust identity verification tools.
FARx, based at Malvern Hills Science Park, was founded by a team with more than 30 years of expertise in biometrics.
The company has developed a multi-factor authentication platform that combines speaker, speech, and facial recognition into a single solution.
Patented in both the UK and US, the technology aims to transform identity security, with expansion plans targeting North America, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Unlike traditional voice authentication systems, FARx’s platform identifies not only what is being said but also who is saying it.
This capability enables organisations to detect and block identity spoofing attempts involving synthetic voices, deepfakes, and recorded media.
The platform uses proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms to continuously adapt to users, detecting behavioural and biometric anomalies that may indicate fraudulent activity.
Earlier this year, FARx also appointed Clive Busby as vice president of sales and marketing, further strengthening its leadership team.