Meet Aliona & Aurela Trezhnjeva, Co-founders at Surely.

Tell us about Surely.

Surely is a UK-based on-demand platform that makes hiring licensed security operatives as simple as booking a ride. We connect clients directly with verified, SIA-licensed professionals, thus cutting out agencies, endless paperwork, and delays. Every operative on Surely is fully vetted and compliance-checked, while clients get instant visibility on profiles, skills, and qualifications.

We built Surely because the security industry hasn’t kept up with how the rest of the world works: fast, transparent, and digital. Our goal is to modernise freelance security hiring through technology that keeps people safe and businesses compliant.

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

The idea for Surely came from us, two sisters who grew up around the security industry. Our dad has worked in it for over 25 years, so we’ve seen the challenges up close: long hours, unreliable agencies, and clients struggling to find trustworthy, verified guards at short notice. We realised that while other industries had evolved with technology, security was still stuck in group chats and last-minute phone calls. So we built Surely, a platform that brings structure, trust, and tech to an industry that desperately needed all three.

Tell us about your main features.

Surely is built to make hiring security fast, simple, and fair. When a client posts a job, all verified SIA-licensed operatives in that area are instantly notified, so shifts get filled quickly and safely. If something urgent comes up, they can select our Emergency Hire option and match with a guard instantly in minutes. Everything runs through secure payments, so there’s no chasing or confusion. For operatives, it’s about freedom. Choosing where and when to work, managing their calendars and everything else from their phone, even getting paid instantly after each job.

And beyond the tech, we’ve introduced the Surely’s Inclusivity Pledge, our commitment to equal access and fair representation across the industry. We’re not just speeding things up, we’re rebuilding how security works for everyone involved.

What excites you more about the security industry?

What excites us most about the security industry is how much potential there still is for change. It’s one of the few essential industries that hasn’t fully gone digital yet, which means there’s still a huge opportunity to make things better. We love being part of that shift, taking something that has always relied on trust and experience and giving it the technology and visibility it deserves.

Every week we meet incredible professionals who care deeply about what they do but haven’t always had the tools or the platforms to show it. Seeing Surely help them work more easily, feel more valued, and raise the standards across the industry is what keeps us motivated. The future of security doesn’t need to feel intimidating or outdated. It can be smart, inclusive, and human, and that’s the part we’re most excited about.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome along the way?

The biggest challenge has been changing mindsets. The security industry is built on trust and long-standing habits and many people are used to doing things the old way; phone calls, agencies, last-minute favours. Introducing a digital system into that world isn’t just about technology, it’s about helping people see there’s a safer, faster and more transparent way to work. On top of that, as two women entering a largely male-dominated field, we have seen how few women are out there in front of the industry. Women make up only around 10% of all licence holders in the UK security industry. We’ve had to show not just that the platform works but that the industry can be more inclusive and open. And finally there’s the balance of speed and compliance. It would be easier to grow fast by cutting corners but from the start we said we would always do things properly. Building something new while earning trust in a traditional industry takes patience, but that’s also what makes every step forward so meaningful.

What is your number one piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Our biggest piece of advice would be to just start and stay consistent, even when things move slowly. There’s never a perfect moment or a perfect version of your idea, so the best thing you can do is build something small, test it, and keep improving. We’ve learned that progress doesn’t always look like big wins, sometimes it’s just getting one more person to believe in what you’re building. And if you’re entering an industry that’s been around for decades, don’t let that intimidate you. You don’t need to fit in to change things. For us, being two sisters in a male-dominated industry has taught us that your difference can be your advantage. If you see something broken, you don’t need to wait for permission to fix it — just start.

What can we hope to see from Surely in the future?

The next stage for Surely is about scale and impact. We’ve built a platform that works, and now we want to make security accessible to everyone. From big stars like Dua Lipa performing at an arena to your friend hosting a small event, anyone should be able to book trusted security when they need it. Security doesn’t have to feel intimidating or exclusive. It can be simple, human, and as easy as booking a ride. Our goal is to show that security isn’t just for corporations or high-risk situations. It’s for anyone who values safety and trust.

Whether it’s one guard for a few hours or a full team for a festival, Surely makes it straightforward, compliant, and transparent. Beyond accessibility, we want to keep driving real change within the industry. That means more fairness, more inclusivity, and a genuine focus on raising standards for everyone involved. In the next few years, we see Surely becoming more than a platform. We see it as a movement that helps modernise the industry while keeping people and integrity at its core.