From an unknown start-up founded in a Norfolk market town to a globally recognised tech firm spanning four continents, it’s been a game-changing four years for Sekura.id. 

The firm - which became a Norwich City Football Club shirt sponsor earlier this year - specialises in virtual security, providing the tech to allow companies to verify the identity of their customer and detect online fraud before it happens.

Eastern Daily Press: The Sekura logo on the back of the NCFC away shirtThe Sekura logo on the back of the NCFC away shirt (Image: Newsquest)

Its API (Application Programming Interface) software is used by everyone from global tier-1 banks and fintech firms to retail and gaming companies, and is the technology behind many “password-free” login systems. 

And with more than 2.5 billion people across the globe now using its software, the Norfolk-grown business is set to become one of the hottest companies in the world of mobile intelligence. 

Since its launch in 2019, the company has grown from a single office in Aylsham to five worldwide, with bases in India, the USA, South Africa and Chester.

Eastern Daily Press: Global marketing manager Matt Cooper joined Sekura in 2022Global marketing manager Matt Cooper joined Sekura in 2022 (Image: Sekura)

Global marketing manager Matt Cooper joined the business in 2022 and said having regional CEOs who know the local market “inside out” had been imperative to its success.

“Having people on the ground who really know the market and can get us meetings with the right people has been key.

“All our leaders have decades of experience in their region. It's really taken us from a start-up to a scale-up business.”

It’s not just CEOs that are powering the firm.

In the past 12 months the company has more than doubled its marketing team, adding nine new staff members to its headcount. 

Mr Cooper said the firm’s share option scheme - in which employees are gifted  shares in the company - had helped it to recruit and keep talent. 

He added: “Gautam Hazari, our chief technology officer, is a mobile identity guru. 

“He pushes everything forward which is what’s allowed us to remain at the forefront of this fast-growing industry.”

What does Sekura.id do?

Sekura.id aims to make online logins safer by providing users with secure logins authorised by the SIM card in their phone, rather than a password.

Its software analyses 66 separate data signals available from a SIM, which allows firms to verify whether the person they’re interacting with is who they say they are.

This can be used in many ways including verifying information provided by people applying for bank loans, checking the age of users entering a gambling website, or detecting SIM card fraud. 

For the customers of companies using Sekura’s software, this provides a password-free log-in that doesn’t rely on “frustrating” two-factor authentication to prevent fraud.