accessiBe
TypePrivate
IndustryWeb accessibility
FounderDekel Skoop, Gal Vizel, Shir Ekerling
Headquarters
Tel Aviv
,
Israel
ProductsWeb accessibility softwares
Websiteaccessibe.com

accessiBe is a technology company working to solve the problem of web accessibility through AI.[1][2] The company has raised $58 million in two rounds of funding.[3][4][5][6][7]

History

accessiBe was founded in 2018 by Dekel Skoop, Gal Vizel and Shir Ekerling.[8][9] The founders worked on developing proprietary software in order to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.[10][11][12]

accessiBe launched its flagship product, accessWidget, as a tool that scans and attempts to remediate websites in real-time, attempting to achieve ADA compliance through implementing WCAG 2.1 guidelines.[13][14] The product claims to make website publishers ADA compliant within hours of deploying accessiBe's code, so that people with disabilities can easily access and interact with these websites.[15][16] In 2021 accessiBe added to its ecosystem of tools, accessFlow,[17] a testing and remediation platform for developers on the source code level.

Fundraising

accessiBe first raised $500,000 from private investors including Nadav Dakner, Elad Mor, Itai Elizur, Oron Yaffe.[18] In May 2020, the company raised $12 million in Series A funding from K1 Investment Management.[19][20][21][22] In February 2021, closed its series A funding with $28 million from K1 Investment Management, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm investing primarily in software and technology private companies across North America, took a minority stake in accessiBe Systems Ltd. with intentions to help accessiBe to expand in North America.[1][23][24][25]

By February 2021, accessiBe's annual recurring revenue has shown a growth of more than 3.5x in 12 months, which led to additional funding from K1, totaling $28 million.[26] Company leaders have announced that they are planning to use the funds to significantly expand its US presence, grow its R&D department and continue educating the market on the importance of web accessibility.[27][28]

In August 2022 accessiBe raised an additional $30 Million as an extension to its previous Series A[7][29] bringing its total funding to $58 Million.

Criticism and concerns

Many web accessibility experts agree that accessibility overlay software like AccessiBe can actually cause accessibility issues and create a false sense of accessibility for their clients.[30]

  • During their 2021 convention the National Federation of the Blind made resolutions that condemned the use of accessibility overlays as an inadequate solution[31] and described accessiBe's marketing and business practices as "disrespectful and misleading".[32]
  • Steve Faulkner, member of the W3C Web Platforms Working Group,[33] says accessibility plugins can't fix fundamental issues or replicate existing browser functionality.[34]
  • Haben Girma, disability rights lawyer, author, and speaker, urges companies to stay away from accessiBe and other companies in the same space.[35]

Many industry professionals have criticized the entire product category.[36][37]

Lawsuits

There have been around 100 lawsuits against companies after they invested in a widget-based solution,[38] most prominently ADP,[39] and two have named accessiBe specifically: Thomas Klaus and Robert Jahoda v. Upright Technologies,[40] and Kolesar v. Bylt, LLC.[41]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Singh, Preeti (13 May 2020). "K1 Bets $12 Million on Company That Improves Internet Access for the Disabled". The Wall Street Journal.
  2. ↑ Spencer, Jennifer (27 November 2019). "Yes, AI Can Make Company Websites Accessible to All". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. ↑ יבלונקו, יסמין (2020-05-13). "הסטארט-אפ הישראלי accessiBe גייס 12 מיליון דולר מקרן K1". Globes (in Hebrew). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "להנגיש אוטומטית כל אתר לאנשים עם מוגבלויות: אקססיבי גייסה 12 מיליון דולר". TheMarker. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Israeli startup accessiBe scores $12 million to make web content accessible to the visual, hearing and motor impaired". Tech.eu. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. ↑ Dudharejia, Manish (15 October 2019). "How AI-enabled marketing can lower website bounce rates and improve accessibility". Marketing Tech News. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  7. 1 2 "AccessiBe raises $30 million to make websites accessible". Calcalist Tech. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Israeli Startup accessiBe Secures $12M Investment from K1 Finance Magnates". Finance Magnates. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Web accessibility platform accessiBe secures $12 million to make the entire web accessible". BetaNews. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  10. ↑ Elizur, Itai (20 August 2019). "How to Make Your Website ADA Compliant, Avoid Accessibility Lawsuits". Small Business Trends. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "How eCommerce Store Owners Can Help Persons with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Crisis". Business 2 Community. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. ↑ Abo, Jessica (2020-09-04). "How One Company is Working to Solve Web Accessibility". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  13. ↑ "Why Your Website Might Not Be Welcoming for People With Disabilities". Fortune. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "How Ecommerce Stores Can Care About Customers During the Pandemic". Search Engine Journal. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "accessiBe aims to make the Internet accessible by 2025". Information Age. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  16. ↑ Moed, Jonathan. "This Startup Aims To Make E-Commerce Accessible For Everyone". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  17. ↑ accessiBe. "accessiBe Releases New Accessibility Testing and Remediation Platform, Alongside a Learning Hub For Developers, Designers, and Product Managers". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  18. ↑ אורבך, מאיר (13 May 2020). "חברת אקססיבי גייסה 12 מיליון דולר לנגישות של אתרי אינטרנט". Calcalist. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "אקססיבי הישראלית מגייסת כסף, כי אתרים לא מונגשים מפסידים כניסות וחשופים לתביעות". Geektime (in Hebrew). 13 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  20. ↑ "accessiBe Raises $12M in Funding". FinSMEs. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Dorbian, Iris (13 May 2020). "K1 invests $12m in AccessiBe". PE Hub. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "3 Reputation Management Tasks You've Never Considered - but Should Be Doing". Social Media Today. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  23. ↑ "Israeli AI-Powered Web Accessibility Company AccessiBe Raises $12m". No Camels. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  24. ↑ "AI web accessibility co accessiBe raises $12m". Globes. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  25. ↑ "Accessibility overlay startup accessiBe closes $28M Series A". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  26. ↑ "accessiBe Secures $28 Million in Series A Funding Following a Successful 2020". Venture Beat. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  27. ↑ "accessiBe Secures $28 Million in Series A Funding Following a Successful 2020". Business Wire. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  28. ↑ "Israeli AI Web Accessibility Startup acceisBe closes $28M Series A Round". nocamels. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  29. ↑ "Website accessibility start-up accessiBe raises $58m. in Series A funding". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  30. ↑ "Overlay Fact Sheet".
  31. ↑ "Resolution 2021-04: Regarding the Use of Overlays to Make Websites Accessible to the Blind". July 10, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Resolution 2021-04: Resolution 2021-17: Regarding accessiBe's Disrespectful and Misleading Business Practices". July 10, 2021.
  33. ↑ "CodePen - Steve Faulkner: Resume". cdpn.io. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  34. ↑ Faulkner, Steve (2020-05-13). "Bolt-on Accessibility – 5 gears in reverse". TPG. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  35. ↑ Girma, Haben (May 5, 2021). "Avoid AccessiBe & other companies claiming quick & easy AI accessibility". Archived from the original on 2021-05-18.
  36. ↑ Alex (2020-08-24). "The Trouble with Accessibility Overlays". Logictran, Inc. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  37. ↑ "Are Overlays an ADA Liability? Here's What Experts Had to Say". 216digital. 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  38. ↑ Taylor, Jason. "App and Web Accessibility Lawsuits - What's New in 2020". blog.usablenet.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  39. ↑ "LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired v. ADP TotalSource". Disability Rights Advocates. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  40. ↑ "KLAUS et al v. UPRIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (2:20-cv-00191), Pennsylvania Western District Court". www.pacermonitor.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  41. ↑ KLAUS et al v. BYLT, LLC (1:20-cv-00025), Pennsylvania Western District Court. www.pacermonitor.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
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