FlowFusion names ex-Monzo leader as CTO
SaaS workflow automation company FlowFusion has appointed former Monzo engineering leader Priya Shah as its new Chief Technology Officer. The hire suggests the London-based scale-up is prioritizing scalable platform engineering as it enters its next growth phase. High-profile CTO appointments at UK tech firms underscore the demand for strategic technical leadership.
- The evolution of the CTO role from a hands-on engineer to a strategic business partner is critical as a company scales; in firms with over 100 engineers, the CTO's focus shifts to managing technology portfolios, ensuring compliance, and communicating with investors and the board. The role demands a balance of strategic vision, operational excellence, technical depth, and product intuition. - AI-driven "agentic" workflows are a key trend in SaaS, with autonomous AI agents managing complex, multi-step processes across different systems, moving beyond simple task automation to handle dynamic decision-making. In London, fintech startup Stacks recently raised £17M for its agentic platform for enterprise finance. - In programmatic advertising, there's a significant shift away from reliance on third-party data due to signal loss from cookie deprecation and initiatives like the now-discontinued Google Privacy Sandbox. This is pushing advertisers towards first-party data strategies and curated supply paths to improve transparency and return on investment. - UK tech funding has seen a downturn in early 2026, with $2.78B raised in 144 rounds, a 19.35% drop compared to the same period in 2025. However, investor appetite remains for startups leveraging AI, with over 60% of seed-funded companies in 2025 utilizing AI for functions ranging from legal tech to health tech. - Notable recent CTO appointments in the UK include Oliver Tweedie, former Bank of England technology director, at Nominet, and Mike Hoy's promotion to CTO at Pulsant to focus on edge computing and AI. - The 2026 Formula 1 season will feature major regulation changes, including new power units with a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, and active aerodynamics on both front and rear wings. Pre-season testing in Bahrain has seen Ferrari show strong pace, while the new Honda power unit has presented reliability challenges for Aston Martin. - For those in London, February events include the final days of the Kew Gardens' Orchid Festival, the "Art After Dark" late-night gallery openings in the West End, and Six Nations rugby screenings across the city.
