Seyu the story:
Why the fan selfie is the new
commercial engine of sport 

For Tom Vecsernyes, the driving force behind Seyu, a sporting event is no longer something you just watch passively. In an era where fans’ attention spans are shorter than ever and the competition for ‘screen time’ is fierce, Seyu has a clear mission: to transform the passive spectator into an active participant.

At a time when fans’ attention is constantly divided between the field and their smartphones, Seyu offers the solution. The platform turns passive viewers into active participants by displaying their selfies and messages of encouragement in real time on stadium screens and during TV broadcasts.

According to Tom, clubs today are not only competing with their rivals on the field, but with every digital distraction on a supporter’s smartphone. The solution? Give fans a reason not to use their phone as a distraction, but as a way to become part of the show. By allowing fans to submit their own content and display it instantly on big screens or during broadcasts, Seyu creates what Tom calls "Goosebumps-as-a-Service." The result is a fan who stays engaged longer, returns more often, and feels a deeper connection to the club.

Although the product outwardly focuses on entertainment and emotion, under the hood Seyu is a pure commercial engine. Tom is very direct about this: "Seyu is business first." The platform is not just a fun extra; it is a strategic tool for data collection.

Where traditional marketing often comes down to guessing who the fan is, Seyu achieves an impressive marketing opt-in rate of 93%. This makes the platform a goldmine for first-party data. Sponsors and clubs get more than just a logo on a screen; they get a direct line to the supporter. By understanding fan behavior, they can finally communicate based on facts instead of assumptions.

This shift has major consequences for the future of sponsorship. The days when a brand was satisfied with a static logo on an advertising board that slowly faded into background noise are over. Tom sees a clear movement towards personalization. Sponsors now want to stand side by side with the authentic emotion of the fan. A brand that appears at the exact moment a fan proudly sees themselves on the stadium screen creates a lasting, positive memory that is much more powerful than a fleeting advertisement.

Looking to the future – with Tom preferring to look three years ahead rather than five due to the rapid rise of AI – Seyu’s ambition is nothing less than global scalability. The company is on the verge of launching a SaaS version powered by 'agentic AI'. This will enable any organization, from the smallest local club to the largest global federation, to independently manage their own fan engagement and revenue streams.

The ultimate vision? Seyu as the universal engagement layer of the sports world. A layer that not only captures emotion and collects data, but also completes the commercial circle. In the near future, interaction will not end with a photo; it will become a direct route to e-commerce. Fans will then be able to buy their favorite shirt or a ticket for the next match with a single click at the moment their passion is at its peak.

Tom’s conclusion is clear: In the digital sports world, participation is no longer a luxury, but an absolute necessity to remain relevant. And Seyu is building the platform that makes this possible.

Founded in 2018 in Hungary, the company has now been active for more than 8 years (as of 2026). What started as an innovative startup in Budapest has grown into an international player with projects in the world’s largest sports competitions.

• 2018: Founded by Tom ‘Vechy’ Vecsernyes and his co-founders.
• 2019 – 2020: First major successes in Hungary and expansion into neighboring countries, with collaborations with seven international sports federations.
• 2021 – 2023: Major breakthrough in Western Europe, specifically within La Liga and the Champions Hockey League, plus recognition by the KNVB and Eredivisie during the Reimagine Football Challenge.
• 2022: Dutch Sport Tech Fund joins SEYU as a strategic investor. In addition, SEYU signs a multi-year agreement with an international brand to strengthen the interaction between fans and brands within the EHF Men’s Champions League.
• 2024 – Present: Reaches the profitability phase, focusing on scalability, AI integration, and the transition to a global SaaS platform. Global visibility through collaborations with Dorna/MotoGP and European Aquatics, and further strengthening of its presence in European football with AS Roma and Villarreal CF.

The fact that in less than ten years they have grown from a local idea to a company regularly visible at UEFA events and collaborating with virtually all major international sports competitions in Europe, including top football clubs, underscores how quickly the demand for digital fan engagement and the need to truly know your fans have grown.

More info at: https://seyuselfies.com/en/