Meet the Team

We are a team of innovation engineers with 19+ years combined experience developing and commercializing intelligent sensor-based systems & technology.


  • Founder, CEO

    Alex has 13+ years of professional experience at leading tech companies like Google and Verily (formerly Google (x)). Her expertise lives at the intersection of data, technology, and design for human computer interaction, including developing wearable sensor and ML technologies for disease and human health monitoring. She holds a BBA in Marketing & Finance and a dual MSc and MA from the Innovation Design Engineering program at Imperial College London and Royal College of Art.

    In Alex’s words:

    “I'm obsessed with the awesome complexity and massively untapped potential for new discoveries to be had in our soil ecosystems! As a rock climbing, bike-packing nature lover, foodie, tech maker, and armchair psychology nerd, I am passionate about the intersection of sustainable food systems, technology, and human behavior.

    I was that kid who was climbing trees, going out in the rain to inspect worms and snails, and growing vegetables in the family garden. When I was in primary school, my career aptitude test results concluded I'd make a good entrepreneur or farmer, and it's funny to reflect on just how prescient that was!

    It's exciting to be able to combine my personal interests and professional experience in data-enabled technology in order to help us better understand how to solve the many challenges of growing healthy food in increasingly volatile and fragile environments. I find daily motivation in supporting and uplifting the incredible communities of researchers and farmers who are committed to making a positive impact.”


  • Machine Learning Engineer & Researcher

    Emma holds a PhD and postdoctoral research experience from Imperial College London in human neuromechanics, focusing on the innovative use of ultrasound for developing human-machine interfacing technologies. Drawing on her background in physics and bioengineering, she designed machine learning and signal processing algorithms to non-invasively extract neural drive to a muscle, capturing brain activity at the muscle level. The system she developed offers unparalleled spatiotemporal resolution across the muscle cross-section, introducing a new paradigm for advancing human-machine interface research and development. Its easy to see how her expertise presents a lot of elegant corollaries to her work at Biofonic.

    In Emma’s words:

    “I love finding the hidden signals buried within real-world, tangible, messy data. And what is messier than soil?

    My approach to research and development is a combination of technical rigour and getting my hands dirty, not afraid to experiment and potentially make mistakes. In my academic work, I started with an idea that had not yet been proved possible. I worked to prove the concept and get meaningful data using ultrasound in a completely novel way. I love starting from an idea and seeing it through, and this extends to my home life. Whether I’m building a new lighting system for my flat, (attempting) to sew a new outfit, or experimenting in the kitchen, I am drawn to finding new ways of doing things. In fact, it is my love of exploring new foods (specifically all things vegetable) that attracted me to this role, driven by a passion to ensure that the soil is healthy enough to provide diverse, nutritious, and exciting diets into the future.

    The opportunity to use my skills in acoustics, machine learning, and scientific research to work on a project with potential to have a positive impact on sustainability and the environment is motivating and exciting to me, and I look forward to seeing where this technology takes us.“


  • Hardware Engineering Lead

    Rhodes holds a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with his research project undertaken as part of the Robotics for Extreme Environments Group (REEG) at The University of Manchester as well as the Centre for Innovative Nuclear Decommissioning (CINDe) of the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). His research project investigated the application of underwater acoustics in harsh environments and involved the development of an acoustic-based communication and localisation system for Remotely Operated Vehicles deployed in challenging areas.

    In Rhodes’ words:

    “I’ve had a fascination with hardware, and especially electronics, from a very young age. I’m a lifelong maker, having grown up spending much of my free time tinkering and building things in my grandfather’s wood workshop. This, combined with my deep interest in audio technology and music production led me towards the path of hardware design, acoustics research, as well as the aim to better understand the principles of systems design and thinking.

    The opportunity to apply my acoustics and engineering knowledge on such an ambitious project with significant potential impact for the environment and our food systems is extremely exciting. I’m looking forward to solving real world issues in sustainable agriculture and supporting the innovative vision of Biofonic.”