Turning a personal challenge into a mission-led AI business

For Darius Namdaran and Jo Lee, their company ivvi did not start as a tech concept looking for a market. It began at home. 

When their daughter, a bright and capable student, failed her prelims, they realised that ability was not the problem. The family discovered she had dyslexia and was a highly visual thinker. Repeatedly writing out traditional notes just wasn’t working for her. So, Darius took it upon himself to teach her how to mind map, a technique that had proved to be a game changer for him as a law student at the University of Edinburgh. 

Once she could move beyond the “wall of words”, everything changed. She passed her exams and went on to university. 

That experience became the foundation for something far more ambitious. 

“We set out on a mission,” explained Jo, “because we wanted not only to support our own daughter, but also to teach a million students with dyslexia how to mind map by 2030.” 

That mission grew into ivvi, an AI-powered notetaking platform designed to help visual thinkers, particularly students who struggle with traditional notetaking.  

ivvi, which stands for ‘intelligent voice to intelligent interface’, records audio, transcribes speech and converts it into visual mind maps in real-time, turning spoken information into structured editable visual notes.  

By the time the company joined the University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator in September 2024, it had a sales pipeline, a distributor and an exclusivity arrangement into the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) market. 

Even so, Darius and Jo saw the AI Accelerator as a unique chance to step back from day-to-day delivery for a time.  “We saw an opportunity to work on the business, not in it,” said Jo. 

With workshops covering areas like employment law, finance, culture, the customer journey and storytelling, alongside deeper technical support through one-to-one sessions with experts and investors, the programme offered knowledge and credibility that would otherwise have been difficult for a company of ivvi’s size to access. 

“The credibility of being on the AI Accelerator was a massive bonus for us because it’s essentially like doing your due diligence for everybody that you speak to.” 

That credibility mattered, but so did the practical opportunities the programme created. 

“We’re a software solution for university students so just to be connected with such an influential university was really useful,” said Darius. “Also to connect with other like-minded founders was great. Lots of AI founders are just dabbling with a side hustle and vibe coding so to connect with genuine, mission-driven innovators was a really important benefit for us.”  

For Jo, it was the ability to tailor the Accelerator around ivvi’s needs that proved most valuable.  

“I think the workshops laid a really solid foundation,” she said. “But the real value came from the one-to-one interactions when you were able to do a deep dive on your specific scenario. It felt like you could create a very bespoke level of support for the growth of the business.” 

That mix of structured learning and personalised support became a key driver of change. Over the course of the programme, ivvi gained more than advice. The founders emerged with greater clarity, stronger confidence and a sharper sense of direction. 

For Darius the shift was significant and, in some ways, unexpected.  

“We did one workshop on how to tell your story, and we put a lot of that learning into our application for a British Education Training and Technology (BETT) award. We went on to win in the SEND inclusion category. Anywhere you go now within education, a BETT Award is like a golden ticket to speaking to a decision maker. Most companies that try and penetrate the schools’ market just die because it’s very hard to break into.”  

Jo and Darius began to see a clearer way forward, one which involved reaching out to schools as well as university students.

Above all, the pair came away with a strong sense that the Accelerator is a place where founders are actively backed to succeed. Asked what they would say to others thinking about applying, Darius chose a culinary metaphor. 

“It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of everything you need in your business. This is not just another accelerator; this is the real deal. This is worth your time.” 

For ivvi, that “all-you-can-eat-buffet” meant far more than access to sessions and mentors. It meant being surrounded by people who could help them sharpen their story, validate their direction, strengthen their business and accelerate their progress. It meant joining a community built around innovation, research and practical growth. Most importantly, it helped them move forward with even greater conviction in the mission that started it all: giving visual thinkers the tools they need to break through the wall of words and thrive. 

The couple’s daughter is now in her final year of studying Fine Art at Goldsmith’s University in London. 

"There was this lovely full circle moment when she phoned us up after a DSA
appointment to tell us about her grant. She’d been given ivvi notes!

“We’d love to say it’s all because of mind mapping,” added Darius. “It’s not. It’s because she is determined. At certain moments, mind maps just unlock that doorway in this wall of words and let you get on and do your thing.” 

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Learn more

Website: ivvi

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