Battlefield alum DevAlly raises €2M to help companies with Europe’s feisty new accessibility law

In light of new accessibility standards that impact businesses serving the EU's 450 million consumers, many companies are racing to meet compliance deadlines. The European Accessibility Act (EAA), which came into effect in June, has drawn parallels to the GDPR, compelling organizations to revise their websites, e-commerce platforms, and banking applications to avoid substantial fines. Cormac Chisholm, the founder of Irish startup DevAlly, revealed that numerous businesses, including large corporations, approached them just weeks before the compliance deadline, expressing a lack of awareness about the impending regulations. DevAlly aims to simplify the process of identifying accessibility issues and ensure adherence to the EAA, which mandates compliance by 2030 for existing products. Founded in 2024, DevAlly provides audits for common accessibility barriers, such as missing captions on videos, and tracks customer-reported problems. The platform not only helps companies develop actionable plans for improvements but also generates detailed accessibility reports. While human consultants are an option for audits, Chisholm emphasizes that scaling such services is challenging, particularly in the fast-paced environment of digital product delivery. DevAlly's unique approach integrates AI and accessibility-focused large language models to automate testing and issue tracking, aligning accessibility efforts with the product development cycle. This innovative strategy mirrors that of Vanta, a cybersecurity compliance firm valued at $2.45 billion. The growing emphasis on accessibility and supportive regulatory frameworks have enabled DevAlly to secure €2 million in pre-seed funding, equivalent to approximately $2.3 million. With this investment, the startup plans to expand its team from five to fifteen by the year's end, primarily in Dublin, where they participated in the NDRC accelerator program run by Dogpatch Labs. Led by the Belgian fund Miles Ahead Capital, the funding round also included participation from European angel investors. Chisholm noted that their success at the Slush tech conference, where they finished among the top three startups, helped them connect with their lead investor. DevAlly intends to leverage the backing from Miles Ahead to establish operations in the U.S., with initial sales efforts focused on San Francisco. The city has proven beneficial for meeting leaders in accessibility within major B2B software firms, particularly after participating in TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 2024. The startup is witnessing significant interest in Europe due to the EAA, as have competitors like Barcelona-based QualiBooth. Both firms are eyeing opportunities in the U.S. market, with DevAlly betting on procurement as a key demand driver. With estimates indicating that disabled consumers command an annual disposable income of $8 trillion, Chisholm insists that accessible design is synonymous with good design. Highlighting the prevalence of disability—one in five individuals—and the situational nature of accessibility, he advocates for universal design principles. Companies can adopt various measures, such as ensuring screen reader compatibility and improving contrast for color-blind users. Despite this push for accessibility, a recent study by UX/UI design agency Tenscope found that a staggering 94% of the top 1,000 U.S. websites do not meet basic accessibility criteria. The travel sector, in particular, has struggled, with users facing challenges in completing essential functions like contact forms and online purchases. The EAA's introduction means that tech giants operating across multiple jurisdictions may soon require assistance to navigate compliance and avoid penalties. Chisholm believes that DevAlly can serve as a vital link for U.S. companies seeking to enter the European market. He posits that the advancements in accessibility, such as the inclusion of subtitles on platforms like Netflix, will ultimately enhance the technological experience for all users.