Rob Leslie, CEO of Sedicii: $4 Million Raised to Build the Future of Data Privacy Infrastructure for an Online World

Rob Leslie

CEO

Company:

Sedicii

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Highlights

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries, the show that explores the future of tech with innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Rob Wesley, CEO and Founder of Sedicii, an identity verification platform that has raised over $4 million in funding.

Key topics discussed in this episode:

Rob’s diverse background, growing up in Ireland, studying electronic engineering, working for Japanese companies, being headhunted by Dell, and eventually starting his own businesses in the compliance and identity verification space
The influence of Akio Morita, founder of Sony, and his focus on miniaturization, great ideas, and superb customer experiences, as well as Michael Dell’s innovations in marketing and supply chain management
Rob’s positive experiences doing business in Japan, highlighting the importance of respect, consensus-building, and conservative decision-making in Japanese business culture
The personal experience of falling victim to an online scam that led Rob to create a platform for verifying the authenticity of people and businesses in the digital world
The use of privacy-enhancing technologies like zero-knowledge proofs and multiparty computation to prove things about an individual without disclosing sensitive information
The potential applications in age verification for controlled products and services, such as alcohol delivery, where privacy and regulatory compliance are paramount
The adoption of Sedicii’s technology in regulated sectors like financial services for KYC/AML compliance and organizations working with children to ensure the safety of minors
The partnership with Nillion, a decentralized network that allows fragmentation and distributed processing of sensitive data, such as credit card information and private keys, to enhance security and prevent hacking
The importance of creating uniqueness and demonstrating the value of Sedicii’s technology to break through the noise in a crowded startup landscape
The ultimate goal of making the world a safer place by providing the “plumbing” for complex processes that secure people’s data, financial futures, and identities

Actionable
Takeaways

Identify Pain Points from Personal Experiences:

Draw inspiration from your own challenges and frustrations to create solutions that address real-world problems. Rob's experience with online fraud led him to develop a platform for verifying digital identities.

Embrace Cultural Differences in Business:

When working across borders, take the time to understand and respect the unique cultural norms and decision-making processes of your partners and customers. Rob's success in Japan highlights the value of building consensus and maintaining respect.

Leverage Privacy-Enhancing Technologies:

Explore the use of cryptographic techniques like zero-knowledge proofs and multiparty computation to enable secure, privacy-preserving interactions between parties. These tools can help strike a balance between compliance and individual privacy rights.

Target Regulated Industries with High-Stakes Needs:

Focus on sectors where identity verification, background checks, and secure data management are critical, such as financial services, child-oriented organizations, and businesses dealing with controlled products. These industries often have the greatest need for robust, privacy-centric solutions.

Emphasize the Transformative Impact of Your Solution:

When pitching your startup, highlight the far-reaching, positive effects your technology can have on people's lives. Sedicii's vision of creating a safer digital world by securing sensitive data and preventing fraud resonates with investors and customers alike.