In today’s digital landscape, ensuring software accessibility is no longer a nice-to-have but a must. Startups like Evinced are leading the charge in making this happen, and their efforts are being fueled by significant funding. The company has just raised $55 million to expand its operations across Europe, where new accessibility regulations are set to take effect.
The Rise of Accessibility
Accessibility is an increasingly broad term that encompasses all kinds of disability and access issues. As regulations and public sentiment lean toward better accessibility, companies that have championed this principle before now find themselves in a prime position to grow their business. Evinced’s approach has been particularly successful, integrating closely with developers’ existing processes to make accessibility metrics and solutions available throughout the software development stack.
Evinced’s Approach: A Game-Changer
According to Navin Thadani, CEO and co-founder of Evinced (alongside Gal Moav), their company’s approach has been a key factor in its success. "We’ve expanded across the entire development lifecycle," he explained. This includes design and development of component libraries, testing, production monitoring, and more. In contrast to other companies that offer service-like accessibility solutions, Evinced focuses on integrating closely with developers’ existing processes.
The Tech Trends are in Favor
Thadani highlighted the favorable trends in both the tech and legal landscapes. "Everyone is realizing this market is real — and our approach is winning," he said. As a result, many Fortune 500 companies have become Evinced customers. The company’s focus on accessibility has put them at the forefront of this growing industry.
Funding for Expansion
Evinced has received significant funding to support its expansion efforts. In 2021, they raised $17 million when they were starting out, followed by $38 million more in 2022 to build out their tools. The latest investment of $55 million, led by Insight Partners with participation from M12, BGV, Capital One Ventures, Engineering Capital, and new investor Vertex Ventures, will be used for research and development, customer success, and expanding into Europe.
Research and Development: A Key Area of Focus
Thadani outlined his plan for the funding, emphasizing three key areas of investment. First, Evinced is focusing on building out a generative AI product portfolio. This includes developing an assistant AI that can help with accessibility-focused coding. Second, they will continue to work with existing clients who need support and new products. Third, they will expand their operations into Europe.
Europe: A Key Market for Accessibility
The European market is a significant opportunity for Evinced, particularly given the upcoming enforcement of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in June 2025. As Thadani noted, "Anyone doing business in Europe needs to ensure all their assets are accessible. That’s huge, obviously a big tailwind for our business." To effectively serve this market, Evinced will need to invest properly in sales and support on the ground.
The Future of Accessibility
As companies continue to realize that building with accessibility in mind is not just a legal requirement but also a good idea, we can expect adoption of accessibility-focused tools like Evinced to accelerate. With significant funding and a strong approach, Evinced is well-positioned to lead this trend.
About the Author
Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer who first wrote for TechCrunch in 2007. His personal website can be found at coldewey.cc.
Related Topics
- Accessibility
- Enterprise
- Evinced
- Exclusive
- Fundraising
- Insight Partners
- Startups
