Two entrepreneurial sisters from Twickenham have secured investment from two of Britain's most high-profile business figures after appearing on BBC One's Dragons' Den last night (Thursday, 9 October).

Amelia and Lydia Miller, who grew up in south west London, pitched their brand-new platform ivee, a tech-driven solution designed to help people return to work after career breaks, in front of Dragons Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies, and guest Dragon Joe Wicks.

The sisters appeared on the episode seeking £75,000 for a 3% stake in their startup, which at the time was just one week old.

Despite the early stage of their company, the Millers impressed the panel, attracting offers from four Dragons and ultimately accepting a joint deal from Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett.

The idea for ivee was inspired by the sisters' own family experience.

"We created ivee after seeing how difficult it was for our mum to return to work after taking time out," said co-founder Amelia Miller.

"She faced a 60% salary cut and struggled to rebuild her network and confidence. We realised this wasn't just a personal issue, but a systemic one."

Lydia Miller (left) and Amelia Miller pitching ivee in front of the Dragons, October 2025 (credit: BBC).

Their platform aims to tackle the UK's £170 billion career break problem, which affects millions of people, particularly women, who find it difficult to re-enter the workforce after time out for childcare, illness, or other reasons.

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that mothers lose an average of £66,000 in earnings within five years of having their first child.

Ivee connects people with non-linear career paths to employers who are keen to access overlooked talent, offering an alternative to expensive returnship programmes and conventional recruitment platforms.

Since filming the show in July 2024, ivee has grown rapidly. It now has over 70,000 users, is valued at £6.5 million, and counts Red Bull, Deliveroo, TransPennine Express, and OVO Energy among its clients.

Co-founder Lydia Miller commented: "Our mission is to build a recruitment landscape that allows for career transitions, rather than screens them out.

"Companies shouldn't have to rely on poaching talent already in work — there's a vast pool of skilled people ready to return, and our tech helps surface them."

The Twickenham sisters' pitch was not without drama, at one point, one of the Dragons branded the business "uninvestable", but by the end of the session, the pair had turned opinions around, walking away with the backing of two of the Den's biggest investors.

Reflecting on the experience, Amelia added: "It was a surreal experience pitching something we'd only just launched.

"But we knew the scale of the problem and the difference we could make — and clearly, the Dragons agreed."

The episode can be watched on demand on BBC iPlayer.

We want to provide Twickenham with more and more clickbait-free local news. To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following. Help us survive and sign up for our free weekly newsletter by clicking the link HERE.