Clearspeed Strengthens Leadership Team as Dual-Use Technology Gains Momentum

Seasoned technology executive Steve Munford joins Board of Directors and Emily Ellis is named Chief Human Resources Officer

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearspeed, the global leader in voice-based risk assessment, today announced key leadership appointments as the company enters its tenth year, following a period of strong growth in which ARR doubled year over year.

The company has appointed Steve Munford, former CEO of Trulioo and of Sophos, to its Board of Directors, and Emily Ellis, former Chief People Officer at DriveWealth, as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). These strategic additions strengthen Clearspeed's leadership as the company continues to scale its dual-use technology across insurance, financial services, government, and defense sectors.

"Our focus has always been on building a durable company grounded in rigor, responsibility, and measurable impact," said Alex Martin, CEO of Clearspeed. "As we enter our next decade and scale our game-changing technology, strong leadership appointments reflect our focus on governance and disciplined growth across commercial and public-sector markets."

Leadership for the Road Ahead

Steve Munford brings more than three decades of enterprise software and cybersecurity leadership to Clearspeed's Board, having served as CEO of Trulioo and previously as CEO of Sophos, where he led the company through rapid expansion. Munford has extensive board and investor experience in enterprise technology. In addition, his background in cybersecurity brings deep expertise in risk, compliance, and governance that supports the growth of Clearspeed's technology.

"Clearspeed addresses a core challenge I've seen throughout my career in security and enterprise technology: enabling trust in the moment, consistently and objectively, across very different environments," said Munford. "Clearspeed's decade-long focus and discipline has produced a distinct solution that organizations have deployed with confidence and measurable impact."

Emily Ellis joins Clearspeed as Chief Human Resources Officer, bringing more than 15 years of experience in scaling teams and operations across pre- and post-IPO technology companies. Most recently, she served as Chief People Officer at DriveWealth and has held senior leadership roles at Lyft, SocialCode, and 2U.

"Clearspeed has achieved sustained success with a humble and high-performing team," said Ellis. "What resonated with me are Clearspeed's core values: Build Trust. Deliver Results. Mission First, Team Always. These values aren't just words on a wall. They define how this team wins, and I'm excited to strengthen and evolve the people systems to support Clearspeed's next decade."

Funding Supports Rapid Client Expansion

In 2025, Clearspeed secured $60 million in Series D funding and doubled its annual recurring revenue. The company continued to expand across the insurance sector, with notable wins including new client Ageas UK and major renewal 1st Central.

Clearspeed's breakthrough technology analyzes voice for risk, delivering an efficient, seamless user experience while significantly reducing costs, minimizing fraud, and enhancing security. On average, clients in insurance have used Clearspeed to accelerate decision-making in claims and applications processes, resulting in a 40% rise in immediate settlements and accelerated policy approvals for customers, reducing transaction handling time by more than 50%, and lowering overall investigation spend by 65%. Public sector clients see similar results, with agencies reducing vetting cycle times by up to 95%, significantly lowering investigative workloads and enabling teams to focus on the highest-priority cases.

About Clearspeed

Founded in 2016, Clearspeed is the global leader in voice-based risk assessment. Its proprietary voice analytics technology detects the level of risk in a person's voice based on vocal characteristics universal to all humans—enabling faster, more confident decisions in high-stakes environments. Initially developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, Clearspeed quickly exposes indicators of risk for government and military agencies. Commercially, it helps insurers, financial institutions, and other enterprises assess risks like fraud and insider threats, unlock operational savings, and elevate the customer experience. With broad applications, Clearspeed delivers bias-free, highly precise, individual risk assessment wherever achieving trust at scale is essential.

Headquartered in San Diego, Clearspeed is used in 37 countries and supports over 60 languages. The company has earned more than 30 industry awards, including CNBC's World's Top InsurTech Companies. Learn more at www.clearspeed.com.

SOURCE Clearspeed