Startup story: Sehaci X Tehnopol Startup Incubator

Tehnopol Startup Incubator, in cooperation with the Information System Authority (RIA) and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), ran the Cyber Accelerator, where eight startups developed their products or services. Let’s get to know them better – meet Sehaci.

Sehaci ensures a simple customer ID verification process for companies across various industries using mobile driver’s license technology directly from the user’s smartphone’s digital wallets, employing advanced cryptographic mechanisms.

Sehaci was founded by Armands Antans, who brings extensive experience in mobile security and payments, and Janis Plakanis, an experienced project management professional. Their combined expertise forms a complementary founding team, with Janis serving as CEO and Armands as CTO.

Janis Plakanis introduced the startup in more depth.

How did you come up with the idea to create a startup?

“While working in the payments industry, Armands noticed that recent developments in the digital identity space were creating potential synergies with payments, following similar trends he had observed in the payments industry overall. These observations led him to recognize an opportunity to build a company that could capitalize on the evolving digital ID landscape. This vision prompted Armands to invite Janis to join forces, leading to the creation of Sehaci.”

What have been the biggest challenges/failures and the biggest wins so far?

“Since our service is currently available only in the US market, our biggest challenge has been securing our first customers there. Our most significant achievement so far has been successfully developing a working MVP.”

What sets your startup apart from competitors?

“We use mobile driver’s license technology for ID verification and it elevates the ID verification to a new level by offering a more secure and frictionless experience for end users, while being 10 times faster than traditional methods that require pictures of physical IDs and selfies.”

Why did you apply to the Cyber Accelerator?

“We applied to the Cyber Accelerator for two main reasons. First, the program provides invaluable mentor and expert support through Tehnopol’s extensive network, offering guidance for any challenge we might face. Second, the EU grant funding has been crucial in supporting our product development and market entry activities. Thanks Tehnopol for that.”

Where do you see your startup in 1 year? And where in 5 years?

“In one year, we envision Sehaci as an established startup with solid recurring revenue. In five years, we aim to be one of the world’s leading companies helping businesses solve their digital ID challenges.” 

Who is the next (Estonian) unicorn?

“We believe Sehaci has the potential to become a unicorn, though we recognize this is a long-term goal. Meanwhile, we’re impressed by the innovative technologies developed by Estonian startups like Skeleton Technologies and Vocal Image.”

Which books/podcasts/publications and influencers in your field do you follow and would recommend to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

“I highly recommend The Pursuit of Scrappiness podcast, which features diverse voices from the Baltic startup scene. The show offers inspiring insights into our region’s rich startup ecosystem and demonstrates what can be achieved in this space.”

If you’d get a chance to meet with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, what would you ask them? (1-3 sentences)?

“I would ask what business they would all three build together or maybe something about money spent on political contributions instead of spending on R&D.”

Next, we are inviting startups to apply for the Startup accelerator. It’s often said that if you go alone, you’ll get there faster, but if you go together, you’ll go further. The Tehnopol Startup Incubator accelerator supports your tech startup on its journey to becoming investment-ready. We offer the best and most high-quality program in the region, as well as expert advice for scaling your startup. 10 carefully selected companies will join the 6-month accelerator. Read more here!