CTO, Co-Founder, Technology Entrepreneur
South African-British computer scientist building technology companies that solve complex problems. Co-Founder of Unibuddy and Familiar, ex-CTO of BX Technologies.
My journey from South Africa to the UK, building technology companies and leading engineering teams
My journey began in South Africa, where I graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BSc in Electrical Engineering. The foundation of problem-solving and systems thinking I developed there would become central to everything I do.
In 2015, I moved to the United Kingdom to pursue an MSc in Computer Science at University College London. This transition marked a pivotal moment—combining my engineering background with cutting-edge computer science to tackle real-world challenges through technology.
I'm the Co-Founder of Unibuddy and Familiar. At Unibuddy, I served as CTO and grew the engineering team to 50 engineers. We raised $32 million across Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, scaling to 120+ employees across the UK, India, and the US.
Today, Unibuddy serves over 4 million users and generates $10 million+ in ARR. With Familiar, I'm building an AI-driven marketing automation platform for the hospitality industry.
As the ex-CTO and Board Observer at BX from 2023-2025, I architected BX's Core API, AI systems, and infrastructure. This experience reinforced my belief that great technology is built on strong foundations and clear vision.
I am Founder and Chair of the Vejayanthran Education Fund, supporting aspiring teachers and education leaders in South Africa.
Since 2021, I've been making small angel investments in the AI and FinTech space. My approach is simple: I invest in companies with incredible products that I would be proud of building myself as an engineer.
I serve as Trustee & Director of Ashinaga UK, mentor to MBA candidates at IE Business School and mentor and consultant at the World Bank, and Managing Partner at Natal.
Building technology companies that solve real problems and create meaningful impact
Co-founded Unibuddy, as CTO grew engineering team to 50 engineers, company raised $32 million (Seed, Series A and Series B) and grew to 120+ employees in UK, India & US. $10 million ARR+, 4 million users.
Visit Unibuddy
Founded Familiar, an AI-native marketing platform for the hospitality industry. The platform helps hoteliers build smarter digital relationships through real-time customer data, advanced segmentation, and powerful automations.
Visit FamiliarProducts and apps I've architected and built from the ground up — as technical co-founder, founding CTO, or solo
Co-Founder & CTO
Used by over 4 million students.
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Co-Founder & CTO
Processed over a million hotel customers, used by hundreds of hotels across Europe.
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CTO
Used by farmers across four continents: the US, Latin America, Australasia, and Europe.
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A responsive web app Ashinaga scholars and staff use to manage scholarships and support students.
A fun app tracking how long it's been since a football club last won a given trophy.
A sweepstakes app to run and manage sweepstakes — built for the 2026 World Cup.
Executive leadership, board positions, and advisory roles
Managing Partner at Natal, a new venture studio and fund.
Founder and Chair of the Vejayanthran Education Fund, supporting aspiring teachers and education leaders in South Africa.
CTO & Board Observer at BX from 2023-2025. Architected BX's Core API, AI systems and infrastructure.
Trustee & Director of Ashinaga UK. Globally, Ashinaga supports more than 8,000 orphaned students annually. Over the past 55 years, Ashinaga has helped around 110,000 students gain access to education while raising $1 billion since its founding in Japan.
Trustee of the V Naidoo Family Trust. Mentor to MBA candidates at IE Business School in Madrid, and mentor and consultant at the World Bank.
Investing in companies that create world-class technologies
Started dabbling in small angel investments since 2021 in the AI and FinTech space. I have a simple approach - I invest in companies with incredible products that I would be proud of building myself as an engineer. Operating in an AI-native manner is a must.
Founder building something exceptional in AI or FinTech? I'd love to take a look.
Book me for advisory sessions or speaking engagements
Book a free 15-minute intro call to discuss your needs and discover if we can work together. Advisory sessions for startups and scale-ups are $200/hour; I also speak at events on technology, entrepreneurship, and building engineering teams.
I believe in the power of technology to solve complex problems and create meaningful impact. Whether you're here to learn more about my journey, explore potential collaborations, or just say hello, I'd love to connect.