Many businesses that provide goods and services to the EU’s 450 million consumers will have to comply with new accessibility standards that came into effect in June. Like its predecessor, GDPR, this new law is forcing businesses to adjust their websites, e-commerce platforms, and banking apps. However, although similar standards exist in the United States, many still have a long way to go.
“One of the things that surprised us was that companies, even large companies, were coming to us two weeks ago. [the deadline] “Oh, we didn’t know anything about this,” said Irish entrepreneur Cormac Chisholm.
His startup, DevAlly, was one of the first to leverage technology to help companies detect accessibility issues. It also helps you comply with regulations such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which imposes steep fines for non-compliant new products and services. (Existing ones will have a grace period to comply until 2030.)
DevAlly, launched in 2024, audits accessibility barriers such as uncaptioned videos on corporate websites. It also tracks customer-reported issues, helps businesses create a roadmap for remediation, and generates accessibility reports.
Although human consultants can perform audits, Chisholm, CEO of DevAlly, believes that such an approach cannot meet demand or adapt to the realities of shipping digital products and features. At DevAlly, we also have accessibility experts, but we leverage AI and the Accessibility LLM to automate testing and issue tracking. Chisholm believes this allows accessibility to be integrated into the product development lifecycle.
This technology-first approach mirrors the path taken by Vanta, a cybersecurity compliance company currently valued at $2.45 billion.
Regulatory tailwinds and growing awareness of accessibility have helped DevAlly secure €2 million (approximately $2.3 million) in pre-seed funding, TechCrunch has learned exclusively.
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With the new funding, the company plans to grow its team from five to 15 people by the end of the year, and has joined the NDRC accelerator program run by Dogpatch Labs on behalf of state-owned company Enterprise Ireland, primarily in Dublin.
The round, which also included participation from NDRC and Enterprise Ireland, was led by Belgian fund Miles Ahead Capital and included participation from European angels. DevAlly’s founders say this is partly thanks to technology conference Slush, which helped them place in the top three in a startup competition and connect with potential lead investors.
“Traditionally in Ireland, the approach has been to work with Irish venture capital, but we have worked with Europe. One of the things we’re really looking forward to is exploring what can be unlocked from this investor,” Chisholm said.
With support from Miles Ahead, DevAlly plans to launch its U.S. operations, starting with sales in San Francisco. After DevAlly participated in TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 2024, the city proved valuable in connecting with accessibility executives at major B2B software companies. “Currently, many of our customers are on the West Coast,” co-founder and chief revenue officer Patrick Guiney told TechCrunch.
Thanks to the entry into force of the EAA, the startup is gaining attention in Europe. Other players have followed suit, such as Barcelona-based QualiBooth, which recently took a look at the state of e-commerce accessibility in Europe. Retail is one of EAA’s focuses. But both startups also see opportunity in the US, with DevAlly betting on procurement as a key driver of demand.
With the disposable income of consumers and their households with disabilities estimated at $8 trillion annually, Chisholm asserts that “good design is accessible design.” One in five people lives with a disability, and disabilities can also occur depending on the situation. That’s because screens can be hard to read in sunlight due to strong glare, and controls can’t be accessed while carrying a baby, he said. “So you’re trying to create as much universal design as possible.”
Steps companies can take to address this issue range from screen reader support to higher contrast and gradients suitable for colorblind users. However, a recent analysis conducted by UX/UI design firm Tenscope found that 94% of the top 1,000 websites in the United States do not meet basic accessibility standards.
The travel industry fared the worst, leaving many users unable to complete basic functions such as contact forms, account creation, and online purchases. Even before the EAA, Spanish airline Vueling had been fined for failing to access its website.
Currently, the EU-wide EAA involves multiple jurisdictions, each imposing their own fines, meaning Big Tech companies operating in multiple countries may have to seek assistance. “That’s why we’re positioning ourselves as a bridge to Europe for these American companies,” Chisholm said.
If so, this would be good news for DevAlly and its investors, and perhaps for all of us, Chisholm said. “The improvements that come with accessibility, like subtitles on Netflix, are a huge step forward in how we all use technology. It’s a much better form of design.”
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