Accessibility compliance startup DevAlly has raised €2 million in pre-seed funding to help companies meet the requirements of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) — a sweeping regulation that, much like the GDPR, is transforming how businesses build digital products for the EU’s 450 million consumers.
The round was led by Belgian fund Miles Ahead Capital, with participation from Enterprise Ireland, NDRC, and several European angel investors. DevAlly plans to triple its team from 5 to 15 employees this year, with most hires based in Dublin, and to launch its first U.S. operations in San Francisco later this year.
Founded in 2024 by Cormac Chisholm (CEO) and Patrick Guiney (CRO), DevAlly develops technology that automates digital accessibility audits, helping organisations detect, fix, and monitor accessibility issues in websites, mobile apps, and enterprise software.
Automating accessibility at scale
The European Accessibility Act, which came into effect in June 2025, requires all new consumer-facing digital products and services — from e-commerce sites to banking apps — to meet strict accessibility standards. Companies that fail to comply risk significant penalties, while existing products must achieve compliance by 2030.
DevAlly helps organisations stay ahead of these requirements through its AI-powered accessibility auditing platform. The system scans digital products for issues such as missing captions, poor color contrast, or missing screen reader support, automatically generating reports, remediation plans, and compliance roadmaps.
Unlike traditional manual audits, which rely on consultants and are slow to scale, DevAlly combines large language models (LLMs) and AI-driven testing with input from accessibility experts. This hybrid approach integrates directly into development pipelines, making accessibility checks part of product lifecycles rather than one-off compliance exercises.
“We’ve had huge companies come to us just weeks before the EAA deadline saying they had no idea the law existed,” said Cormac Chisholm, CEO and Co-founder of DevAlly. “Our platform exists because manual consulting can’t meet this demand. Accessibility needs to be built into how software is made, not bolted on at the end.”
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Backed by Europe — and heading to the U.S.
DevAlly participated in the NDRC accelerator at Dublin’s Dogpatch Labs, operated on behalf of Enterprise Ireland, which also invested in the round. The startup first connected with its lead investor, Miles Ahead Capital, after reaching the top three at Slush’s startup competition.
“Traditionally in Ireland, startups seek local VCs first,” said Chisholm. “We went straight to European investors — and that’s opened the door to new markets and expertise that will help us grow faster.”
The new funding will enable DevAlly to expand sales and customer success operations in North America, where many of its early clients are already based. Following its participation in TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 2024, DevAlly established key relationships with accessibility leaders at major B2B software firms in California.
A growing market for accessible design
The global market for accessibility technology is accelerating as new regulations and demographic trends converge. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 5 people live with a disability, while accessibility issues — such as low-contrast design or missing captions — affect everyone in situational contexts (for example, trying to read a screen in bright light or using a phone with one hand).
Despite this, 94% of the top 1,000 U.S. websites fail to meet basic accessibility standards, according to UX agency Tenscope. Industries like travel and e-commerce perform worst, with customers unable to complete bookings or purchases due to poor design.
“Good design is accessible design,” said Chisholm. “Accessibility improvements — like subtitles on Netflix — end up benefiting everyone. Our mission is to make those improvements faster, cheaper, and more scalable for every company.”
About DevAlly
DevAlly is an AI-driven accessibility compliance platform helping businesses detect, fix, and prevent accessibility issues in digital products. By integrating directly into development workflows, DevAlly enables companies to comply with the European Accessibility Act and global accessibility standards efficiently and at scale — turning inclusive design into a business advantage.
