Many businesses serving the EU’s 450 million consumers are racing to meet new accessibility standards that took effect in June under the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Much like the GDPR before it, the new regulation has companies scrambling to update websites, e-commerce platforms, and apps, or face hefty fines.
Irish startup DevAlly is stepping in to make compliance easier. The company uses AI and accessibility-focused LLMs to detect digital barriers, track issues, and generate accessibility reports for companies. Founded in 2024 by Cormac Chisholm, DevAlly recently raised €2 million (approximately $2.3 million) in pre-seed funding, TechCrunch learned exclusively.
The round was led by Belgian fund Miles Ahead Capital, with participation from Enterprise Ireland, NDRC, and several European angel investors. DevAlly plans to expand its team from 5 to 15 members by year’s end, mainly in Dublin, and to launch U.S. operations starting in San Francisco.
CEO Cormac Chisholm said the company is already gaining traction in Europe as businesses rush to meet the EAA’s new standards. Existing products have until 2030 to comply, while new ones face immediate enforcement. DevAlly’s AI-first approach allows continuous monitoring and faster fixes, something traditional human-led audits struggle to scale.
The startup’s technology mirrors the compliance automation path of companies like Vanta, now valued at $2.45 billion. DevAlly audits digital accessibility features such as captions on videos, color contrast, and screen reader support, integrating improvements into product development workflows.
With accessibility now a legal and ethical imperative, Chisholm believes the impact extends beyond compliance. “Good design is accessible design,” he said. “Features like Netflix subtitles started as accessibility tools but became standard for everyone.”
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Accessibility also makes business sense. Globally, disabled consumers and their households represent $8 trillion in annual disposable income. Yet, a report from Tenscope found that 94% of the top 1,000 U.S. websites fail to meet basic accessibility standards, especially in travel and retail sectors.
As the EAA introduces country-specific fines across the EU, multinational tech companies may increasingly turn to firms like DevAlly for support. “We’re positioning ourselves as a bridge to Europe for U.S. companies,” Chisholm said.
With accessibility gaining global traction, DevAlly’s mission goes beyond regulation, it’s helping shape the next era of inclusive, universal digital design.
