Amelia, Class of 2015, and Lydia, Class of 2016, used their LEH Be Bold Grant funding to help obtain Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) approval as part of their early fundraising efforts. The ivee site went live just a few weeks ago and they are currently looking to build up their community of women returners so they can start making matches when the jobs section of the platform goes live next month.

“Calling all women in the LEH community who are thinking about returning to work but may not know where to start!” says Lisa Day, LEH’s Director of Development and Communications. “We’re really proud to back these dynamic sisters who are on a mission to create a world where women can return to work without facing bias, pay cuts, and isolation.

“Their new platform offers weekly webinars run by career experts to provide interview strategies and tips, as well as customisable templates to download and create CVs and cover letters designed to highlight your unique skills and experiences, and so much more. They really deserve all our support, so please check it out here: ivee.jobs

Sisters, Amelia and Lydia were inspired to seek a solution after witnessing their own mum’s struggle to return to work. Lydia explains: “We watched first-hand how the system was just not set up for women trying to get back into the workforce. Our Mum took time out of her accounting career to start a family. When she tried to return, the process was really difficult. She ended up not only accepting a pay cut, but a role she was vastly overqualified for. This movement of women into lower paying roles and fields is all too common and is the crux of the gender pay gap."

The pair set out to build ivee, a game-changing, AI-powered platform designed to help women effortlessly re-enter the workforce - without the pay-cut. The slick, easy to navigate site targets both would-be job candidates and also companies looking to recruit. The platform is free to use for candidates as companies pay a monthly subscription to post their vacancies.

“We hand-pick flexible jobs from top-rated employers, giving women the opportunity to return to work without compromise,” says Lydia. “While we’re offering employers a new source of untapped female talent, allowing them to hire highly skilled and experienced women with ease.”

Tech start-ups are notoriously tough to launch, but their project received a fast-track boost after the pair were accepted onto the Techstars London Accelerator, a highly-competitive 13-week programme, which helped them build and grow their start-up.

The facts are pretty sobering when it comes to finding funding. Government figures reveal that for every £1 of equity investment in the UK, just 2p goes to fully female-founded businesses, representing no improvement in the past decade.

Amelia and Lydia have recently closed their first round of investment and will need a significant further injection of cash in a year or so, to fulfil their plans for the business.

But their enthusiasm to crack the problem remains undimmed: “Witnessing first-hand the immense challenges women face, we realised this isn't just a personal story. Across the globe, hundreds of millions of women struggle to relaunch their careers, often experiencing significant financial and emotional setbacks. We knew technology could be the key to unlocking their potential, and we’re confident that ivee can make a real difference.”