There is a lot to learn about Norwich City FC’s new sponsors. You may have noticed their emblem on the men’s and women’s squad shirts, but who are they exactly?
Norfolk based tech firm Sekura become the back of the shirt sponsor for David Wagner’s squad for the 2023/24 season, as well as the main shirt sponsor for the women’s team.
Described on its website as a “compliant, mobile ID verification and authentication” provider, you’d be forgiven for wondering what exactly the company does.
Marketing manager Matt Cooper agreed that at first glance, it can seem “quite deep and technical”, but that the nuts and bolts of their technology is pretty simple.
He said: “We basically provide the tech to allow companies to verify the identity of their customer.
“We do this via an API connection, which is a software component that serves as an intermediary between two disconnected applications.
“That allows our customers, who include banks, phone companies, and consumer brands, to spot fraud attempts.”
In practice, Mr Cooper said this could look like anything from a bank verifying the information provided by a loan applicant, or a gambling site verifying the age of a new customer.
But that’s not all.
Mr Cooper added: “Another key point of what we do is providing an easy seamless login for the user.
“We remove the password, username and SMS OTP making the login easier for the customer.”
From its headquarters in Aylsham, Sekura works with more than 70 mobile providers across the world, operating hubs in the USA, India, Budapest, and South Africa.
But according to Mr Cooper, Norfolk remains at the heart of the business – as does the county’s biggest football club.
He said supporting the women’s team was a priority.
“Women in tech have faced similar challenges to women in sport, so we want to do everything we can to support them in breaking those stereotypes.”
But will fans be happy to see a blue logo, the colour of Ipswich Town’s home uniform, added to the kit?
Mr Cooper said: “The only thing we wish is that our logo wasn’t blue because everyone keeps saying ‘another blue logo!’
“But technically it’s turquoise. We’re keen to get that out there.”
