Adaptation Ventures Bridges Funding Gap for Accessibility Tech Startups

The global assistive technology market was valued at over $22 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow significantly by 2030. Despite this promising market size, many founders developing technology to aid people with disabilities struggle to secure early-stage funding essential for launching their companies.

Adaptation Ventures, an angel investment group co-founded by Brittany and Rich Palmer—both former startup founders, angel investors, and persons with disabilities—was created to address this funding gap. The firm targets early-stage startups building assistive technology specifically for persons with disabilities, as well as companies whose broader products also benefit these populations.

Brittany Palmer experienced the funding challenges firsthand while raising capital for Beeyonder, a startup offering virtual travel experiences for people with disabilities. She noted that many venture capital firms lacked understanding of the disability community’s size and market potential. Rich Palmer observed similar gaps during his tenure as an investor, motivating the couple to create a dedicated angel group to support this underserved sector.

Initially aiming to raise a traditional venture fund, Adaptation Ventures pivoted to an angel group model after discovering that high-net-worth individuals preferred direct involvement with startups rather than passive fund participation. This approach enables more hands-on support and investment in promising accessibility tech ventures.

Adaptation Ventures plans to invest a minimum of $250,000 in each company, with options for co-investment. Quarterly meetings feature multiple startup pitches, where investors vote on candidates advancing to due diligence. Their investment thesis focuses on making essential technologies more affordable and accessible, exemplified by companies like ReBokeh, which builds assistive tech for low vision, and Tonal, which offers accessible fitness equipment.

The founders’ personal experiences with disabilities—Brittany as a bilateral amputee and Rich as a brain aneurysm survivor—fuel their commitment to this mission. Having invested as angels in this space for years, they recognize the critical need for early funding to help accessibility startups move from concept to market-ready solutions.

By bridging the funding gap, Adaptation Ventures is catalyzing innovation in assistive technology, enabling startups to develop impactful solutions that enhance independence and quality of life for millions of people with disabilities worldwide. This initiative also highlights the broader opportunity for investors to engage with a rapidly growing, underserved market segment.