Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk will forever be known as the IDnow’s first UK employee.
The German company is a leading identify proofing platform provider in Europe and offers a range of identity verification and document signing solutions.
It uses AI-based technology to check all security features on ID documents.
Two years ago IDnow opened up an office in Spinningfields, Manchester and Redfearn-Tyrzyk was the natural choice to run it.
A proud German he’s been in Manchester long enough to have picked up an accent and has previously worked at the likes of GB Group, Purple WiFi, Duuzra and Lord Sugar’s Amscreen.
“When I joined in 2019 I was the first person in the UK and obviously we had zero revenue,” he told TechBlast’s latest Going 4 Growth roundtable. “We opened a Manchester office in 2020.”
Redfearn-Tyrzyk describes Brexit’s impact on the technology sector as ‘minimal’ adding: “Let’s be clear that despite Brexit the UK is still in the top three most important markets in Europe and is a huge pillar to our success, not only from a commercial perspective but also from a recruitment perspective as the UK has to offer one of the best talent pools there is. The UK is also very employer-friendly compared to other countries.”
Redfearn-Tyrzyk is a long-time industry expert in financial services, gaming, and software topics and has broad experience with identity services and digitization.
In 2021, IDnow acquired the French market leader for identity verification technology, ARIADNEXT, and the German identity verification provider Trust Management AG, enabling IDnow to offer one of the broadest portfolios of identity proofing solutions through a single, integrated platform.
The company is backed by institutional investors, including Corsair Capital and Seventure Partners, and has more than 900 international clients, including Western Union, UBS, Sixt and Munich Re.
Redfearn-Tyrzyk says: “In the UK the company has grown eight-fold in the last 12 months. We’re in the stage of very good growth.
“Customers range from your cool Fintechs like eToro, Klarna and Paysafe and gambling companies like Entain, Admiral and Lottoland. Where there is regulation they use our technology to check people’s identity, age etc. Ecommerce is also growing.”
Finding staff
He said the biggest challenge was finding the right staff.
“We are a purely digital business and everyone is looking for new staff,” he admits. “We said last year that by the middle of 2022 we wanted to have 25 people in the UK. We now have about 17 but such has been the level of growth we have spaces for between 30-35.
“Be sure to have the right people to do this for your company. You need to have local knowledge and a deep understanding of what the market requires. You need to be ready to give back to the community and invest in the UK. Your product and offering has to be relevant to the market.”