The start-up plans to grow its team to 16, with a majority of the roles based in Ireland.
Irish digital accessibility start-up DevA11y has raised €2m in pre-seed funding to expand its team and scale its presence in the US.
The round was led by Miles Ahead, with participation from European angels, as well as support from Enterprise Ireland and the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC).
The raise comes just after the European Accessibility Act came into force this June, mandating digital inclusion across the region. However, fewer than 20pc of companies are currently prepared, DevA11y said. Failure to comply under the law can lead to fines up to €500,000 and could include exclusion from public contracts or criminal penalties in some cases. Moreover, 97pc of all websites remains inaccessible despite one in five people living with a disability globally.
This is where DevA11y aims to make a change. Founded in 2024 by Cormac Chisholm, Patrick Guiney and Darren Britton, the start-up enables businesses to audit and fix accessibility issues without requiring specialised expertise or outsourcing.
Its platform automatically detects accessibility problems in digital products and provides expert guidance to help resolve the issue fast. According to the start-up, it does so within minutes and helps save developers hours of work to rectify errors and reduces the need for regular costly audits.
The latest investment will help the start-up build out operations and bolster its services in the US, it said. Alongside the funding, the start-up plans to create new roles across product and engineering and expand its workforce to 16. A majority of the roles will be based in Ireland, the company said.
Currently, two Ireland-based roles for a senior software engineer and a lead product designer are open on the company’s website.
“If your product isn’t accessible, it’s broken. Accessible products reach more people, reduce legal risk, and strengthen your brand,” said CEO Chisholm.
“As we make it effortless to build in, then suddenly you’re not just compliant, you’re ahead, creating products that don’t just feel better, but perform better too. With this investment we’re doubling down on great talent to help democratise accessibility once and for all.”
Last year, the then less than one-year-old DevA11y made it to the top three spot at the Slush 100 competition. Earlier that year, it was selected for a new fellowship programme at Dogpatch Labs.
Luc Burgelman from lead investor Miles Ahead said, “DevAlly is redefining digital accessibility. This isn’t just a compliance checklist – it’s an end-to-end solution that empowers product teams to embed accessibility into design, development, and culture.
“That approach is what makes DevAlly so powerful – it enables intuitive, inclusive digital experiences across all devices. The company has tremendous potential to become a global leading player in this field.”
Supporting the start-up’s raise, NDRC managing director Malaika Judd said that DevA11y is “exactly the kind of start-up we back”. The Irish Government initiative recently received the go-ahead to be extended for one more year until the end of 2026.
“From day one in our Accelerator, they stood out. We backed them early, helped connect them to design partners, customers, and mentors, and watched them turn accessibility from a compliance headache into a competitive edge.”
Nexus Inclusion, an Irish start-up working towards a similar goal, raised €2m earlier this year. It launched just ahead of the EU Accessibility Act.
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