{{Short description|British entrepreneur and musician (born 1954)}} {{Use British English|date=June 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Paul Caplin | image = File:Paul Caplin portrait 2022.jpg | caption = Caplin in 2022 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1954|12|31}} | birth_place = [[London]], England | occupation = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter|record producer|technology entrepreneur|businessman}} | website = {{URL|caplinandmassiah.com}} | years_active = 1978–present | spouse = [[Zeeteah Massiah]] | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | current_member_of = Caplin & Massiah | past_member_of = [[Haysi Fantayzee]] Animal Magnet }} }}
'''Paul Caplin''' (born 31 December 1954) is an English businessman, musician, songwriter, producer, videographer and technology entrepreneur. He studied mathematics at [[Imperial College, London]] and at [[Cambridge University]]. His career has spanned [[music]], [[information technology]] and [[filmmaking]].
== Musical career == Caplin began his musical career in his early twenties as a founding member of the [[New Romantic]] rock group Animal Magnet, which was signed to [[EMI Records]] and supported [[Duran Duran]] on their first national tour.<ref name ="IC">{{cite web|url=http://www.imperial.ac.uk/college.asp?P=3717 |title=Soul boy makes the money market sing |author=Tanya Reed |website=Imperial College Reporter |date=23 October 2002 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005192328/http://www.imperial.ac.uk/college.asp?P=3717 |archive-date=5 October 2018}}</ref>
He left Animal Magnet to become the “mastermind”<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.comedycentral.co.uk/2010/07/28/haysi-fantayzee|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413122903/http://blog.comedycentral.co.uk/2010/07/28/haysi-fantayzee|url-status=dead|title=Comedy Central|archivedate=13 April 2015}}</ref> behind the 1980s avant-garde [[New wave music|new wave]] pop project [[Haysi Fantayzee]], the other members being [[Jeremy Healy]] and Caplin's then girlfriend, [[Kate Garner]]. Their music combined [[reggae]], [[Country music|country]], and [[electro (music)|electro]] with political and sociological lyrics couched as nursery rhymes.<ref>"Ad Lib", Peter Holt, ''[[Evening Standard]]'', 16 June 1983</ref>
The group disbanded after releasing three [[hit single]]s, and an [[album]] that went [[music recording sales certification|gold]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=854|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205082546/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=854|url-status=dead|title=Cherry Pop Records website|archivedate=5 December 2014}}</ref> Caplin then launched his own record label, The Love Organization. This had success with [[Marilyn (singer)|Marilyn]], who became popular during the mid-1980s vogue for sexually ambivalent pop stars. Caplin managed Marilyn and co-wrote his hit songs.
Since 2015, Caplin has been working with the singer [[Zeeteah Massiah]], for whom he has written and produced three albums: ''Juice'' (2014), ''Maybe Tomorrow'' (2016) and ''Wat A Ting'' (2022).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/518366-Zeeteah-Massiah|title=Zeeteah Massiah|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref> Caplin and Massiah were married in 2016, and in 2024 they launched themselves as the music duo Caplin & Massiah. They have released three singles and an album under this name<ref>{{cite web|url=https://caplinandmassiah.com|title= Caplin and Massiah website}}</ref> to significant critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://notion.online/chemistry-by-caplin-massiah/|title=Caplin & Massiah review in Notion |date=16 June 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://theindiegrid.co.uk/reviews/chemistry-caplin-massiahs-daring-love-letter-to-life-and-sound/|title=Caplin & Massiah review in The Indie Grid |date=May 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://earmilk.com/2025/05/08/caplin-massiah-light-up-the-scene-with-chemistry/ |title =Caplin & Massiah review in Earmilk}}</ref> In 2025 the album ''Wat a Ting'' was rebranded as a Caplin & Massiah release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/5VVL0bkXPx3xWEjHnUhord |title = ''Wat A Ting'' listed as a Caplin & Massiah album on Spotify|date=December 2025}}</ref>
== Business career == After creating and running a small group of music production and publishing companies in the early 1980s, in 1985 Caplin founded Caplin Cybernetics Corporation, a computer hardware and software developer and a pioneer of [[artificial intelligence]] technology.<ref name ="IC" />
Caplin Cybernetics became an [[IBM]] business partner and was later acquired by the Infinet Group, a diversified group of IT services companies of which Caplin was co-founder and chief executive.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://jqim.co.uk/kingston/fmp/final/business_v3/page/The-Management-Team.html |title=Caplin Systems website |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150206091551/http://www.caplin.com/business/page/the-team |archive-date=6 February 2015}}</ref>
Caplin was also active in filmmaking, and in 1994 was executive producer of the documentary ''Pavarotti in Confidence with Peter Ustinov'' for the [[BBC]].
In 2000, Caplin founded [[FinTech]] innovator Caplin Systems Ltd and served as its chief executive and chairman until the company’s sale in 2015. Caplin Systems pioneered the distribution of real-time financial data via the web, and built some of the earliest [[single-dealer platform|online trading platforms]] for [[investment banks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jqim.co.uk/kingston/fmp/final/business_v3/page/about-us.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150206091546/http://www.caplin.com/business/page/the-company |title=Caplin Systems website |archive-date=6 February 2015}}</ref>
In 2001, he received an [[Ernst & Young]] Entrepreneur of the Year award,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EoY_-_2001_award_recipients/$FILE/EY_EOY_2001_award_recipients.pdf|title=Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2001: Award Recipients|website=Ey.com|accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref> and in both 2002 and 2009 Caplin Systems was featured in [[the Sunday Times]] [[Tech Track 100]] as one of the fastest-growing technology firms in Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fasttrack.co.uk/league-tables/tech-track-100/league-table/|title=Fast Track|website=Fasttrack.co.uk|accessdate=22 May 2020|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127084314/https://www.fasttrack.co.uk/league-tables/tech-track-100/league-table/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fasttrack.co.uk/league-tables/tech-track-100/league-table/|title=Fast Track|website=Fasttrack.co.uk|accessdate=22 May 2020|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127084314/https://www.fasttrack.co.uk/league-tables/tech-track-100/league-table/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2015, Caplin Systems was acquired by Ion Capital Management,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.profit-loss.com/change-of-ownership-at-caplin/ |title=Change Of Ownership At Caplin |website=Profit & Loss Magazine |date=17 June 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160602095234/http://www.profit-loss.com/articles/news/technology/change-of-ownership-at-caplin |archive-date=2 June 2016}}</ref> at which point Caplin stepped down from his role at the company and returned to music making.
== Personal life == Caplin is married to singer [[Zeeteah Massiah]], with whom he now releases music as Caplin & Massiah.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zeeteah.com/|title=Zeeteah Massiah website|website=Zeeteah.com|accessdate=22 May 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.ft.com/content/022dfdc8-3cd0-11dd-b958-0000779fd2ac ''Financial Times'' article about Paul Caplin] * [http://www.imperial.ac.uk/P3717.htm Imperial College article about Paul Caplin] * [http://www.caplin.com Caplin Systems company website] * [http://caplinandmassiah.com Caplin & Massiah official website]
{{Haysi Fantayzee |state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caplin, Paul}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Alumni of Imperial College London]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge]] [[Category:Businesspeople from London]] [[Category:English new wave musicians]] [[Category:English keyboardists]] [[Category:English record producers]] [[Category:English male songwriters]] [[Category:English chief executives]] [[Category:Musicians from London]] [[Category:British avant-garde musicians]]