Vito Levi D’Ancona is the
Co-Founder and President of Mantacus, where he leads the

company’s strategic vision to transform global security from reactive response to

proactive prevention through cutting-edge technology.

A serial tech entrepreneur, Vito has founded and scaled ventures across high-impact sectors including physical security, satellite and terrestrial communications, and medical technologies. 

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Vito has a proven track record of building companies from inception to profitability and exit, combining scientific insight, operational excellence, and commercial and financial acumen. 

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He holds a five-year Laurea degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florence and an MBA from London Business School.

Stefano Giolito is Chief Marketing Officer at Mantacus, where he leads global brand strategy,

communications, and go-to-market execution for the company’s AI-powered security

technologies.

Stefano brings over 20 years of experience from global roles at Unilever and Reckitt, including as Global Brand VP for Homecare at Unilever and Global Vice President of Marketing Capabilities at Reckitt, where he scaled iconic brands through innovation, sustainability, and purpose.

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Stefano has also co-founded and advised several purpose-driven startups, blending entrepreneurial agility with world-class brand leadership.

At Mantacus, he helps shape a compelling, human-centered narrative around proactive security and deep-tech innovation.

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He holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Milan and the University of North Wales, and is also an accomplished pianist, having studied at the Conservatory of Milan.

John Cochran is VP Defence Relations at Mantacus  and leads efforts to strengthen defense partnerships and advance mission-focused solutions.

John brings over 30 years of distinguished service in the United States Army, including more than two decades in Special Operations.

Throughout his military career, he operated at tactical, operational, and strategic levels, culminating in his role as Senior Special Operations Advisor to the Deputy Director of Global Integration at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

In his final two years of service, John also served as an Acting Defense Intelligence Senior Leader, further solidifying his expertise in defense strategy and global security operations

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Steven Hirth is is the Principal of Hirth Family Office and Founder of SH Hirth & Associates and serves as Mantacus non-executive Director

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Steven pursued a career as a European private banker and then returned to the US to earn his MBA from Columbia University in 1993 and pursued a career as a private banker before building a family office with his parents in the late 1990s

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Will Addison is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Mantacus, where he leads global operations, partnerships and strategy. He is also in charge of ensuring technical strategic roadmap is aligned with evolving customer needs.

With a strong background in deep-tech entrepreneurship, Will has built and scaled ventures focused on security, life sciences, and data innovation, always with a commitment to solving high- impact challenges.

At Mantacus, he has helped guide the development of cutting-edge concealed weapon detection systems, earning recognition from NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator (DIANA).

In parallel, he serves as Vice President of Innovation & Growth at Gorilla Technology, where he drives strategic partnerships and AI deployments across smart city and homeland security sectors.​

Fred Edenius is Chief Financial Officer at Mantacus, where he leads business strategy, financial planning and risk management.

Fred is a founding director of Scientific Venture Partners and has co-

founded a number of small technology companies, including Phagenesis, a

medical device company pioneering the treatment of neurogenic dysphagia (swallowing dysfunction), and Solus Scientific, a developer of food pathogen detection systems acquired by Perkin Elmer.

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Fred sits on the boards of Phagenesis, Ateria Health and Ceres Diagnostics and acts as CFO for Ateria and Tharos.

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Fred is a US citizen, born in Boston and living in London. After graduating from Harvard University, Fred spent a few years in Technology M&A investment banking in San Francisco. He then moved to London for an MBA at London Business School

Tassos Stassinopoulos is the Vice President of Software at Mantacus, where he leads the

development of next-generation AI and sensor fusion platforms for proactive threat detection.

With a background in high-performance computing and mission-critical systems, Tassos brings deep expertise in architecting scalable, secure software infrastructures for safety and defense applications.

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He has held senior engineering and leadership roles across both startup and enterprise environments, consistently delivering robust, real-time solutions that power intelligent, hardware-integrated systems.

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At Mantacus, he spearheads the integration of machine learning, computer vision, and edge processing to enable faster, smarter responses in high-risk environments.

Douglas is a founding director of Scientific Venture Partners and serves as Mantacus non-executive director.

Douglas has co- founded, invested into and run a number of small technology companies targeting the communications, security, real estate and healthcare markets including Radio Physics Solutions Limited, whose assets and IP Mantacus has obtained an exclusive licence.

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Douglas lives in London and in Scotland, has 30 years experience in

Agriculture and over 20 years experience in venture capital. 30 years as

honorary consul for Chile in Scotland. Formally a board director of Anglo

Pacific Group Plc. and a member of UK Parliament’s PITCOM Science and

Technology Committee

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