Nigerian startup Adaptive Atelier is developing technology designed to help businesses identify, fix and test accessibility problems in websites and other digital products used by people with disabilities.
Founded in 2024 by Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya and headquartered between Lagos and London, the startup has built three connected products aimed at helping businesses make digital experiences more accessible.
Its AdaptiveTest platform uses artificial intelligence to scan websites and digital products against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, while AdaptiveWiz provides an accessibility API that enables disabled users to personalise and navigate digital experiences.
The third product, AdaptiveAlly, is a marketplace that connects businesses with vetted disabled professionals who test whether accessibility improvements actually work for users.
“AdaptiveTest identifies the problem, AdaptiveWiz helps fix the experience, and AdaptiveAlly validates whether the fix actually holds up for a real disabled user,” Badejo-Okusanya told Disrupt Africa.
She said the startup was created to address the gap between businesses recognising the importance of accessibility and having the technology and expertise to implement it effectively.
“The gap we identified is the distance between knowing accessibility matters and actually having the infrastructure to identify, fix, and validate it,” she said.
According to Badejo-Okusanya, the accessibility market remains fragmented among automated scanners, overlay tools, traditional consultancies and generic user-testing platforms.
She said Adaptive Atelier combines automated detection and remediation with testing by disabled professionals, allowing businesses to assess accessibility both technically and through real user experiences.
The startup has built a community of more than 13,000 disabled professionals and advocates, providing a pool of potential testers for its AdaptiveAlly marketplace.
Its website also attracts about 50,000 organic visits monthly, while the company has conducted customer research with disabled professionals and enterprise leaders in the UK, Nigeria, Canada, Germany, Morocco and the United States.
Adaptive Atelier has started signing paying customers in sectors including cinemas, government and retail.
The startup also has active relationships with organisations including L’Oréal, SignHealth, Channel 4 and Phonak.
The company generates revenue through AdaptiveWiz subscriptions, scoped audits conducted through AdaptiveTest and commissions from transactions on the AdaptiveAlly marketplace.
Badejo-Okusanya said businesses can initially engage the company through an accessibility audit before adopting its technology on an ongoing basis and using disabled professionals to validate the improvements.
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Adaptive Atelier has so far been self-funded but is now seeking $250,000 in institutional funding to support technical recruitment and expand its go-to-market activities.
Badejo-Okusanya was previously a finalist in the Standard Chartered Foundation Women in Tech Accelerator Nigeria, while Adaptive Atelier is currently participating in the Synergies Work Igniting Ideas Business Accelerator in the United States, sponsored by the Mitsubishi Electric Foundation.
Nigeria remains the startup’s home market, although it is developing relationships in the UK, European Union and US, where accessibility regulations are creating greater demand for compliant digital products.
These include the European Accessibility Act and requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The startup has also faced challenges as it has scaled. Badejo-Okusanya said delays in product delivery forced the company to rebuild parts of its technical roadmap and team.
She said the experience had made rigorous internal testing a key part of the company’s product development process.
Another challenge is convincing businesses to view accessibility as more than a compliance requirement.
Badejo-Okusanya said the company is also being deliberate about where it directs its go-to-market efforts as it balances opportunities in African and Western markets.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
