Handiscover, a Swedish startup focused on enabling travel
for people with disabilities or special needs, has raised €1.65 million to grow
its accommodation marketplace and develop its B2B accessibility management
products.
The majority of the funding - €1.5 million – comes from the
European Innovation Council Fund, an investment program of the European Union
that also gave Handiscover a €1.6
million grant in May 2020.
The remaining funding comes from Handiscover’s existing investors
including HOWZAT Partners, Almi Invest and Tranquility Capital.
Founded in 2015, Handiscover began as an online community and
booking site for accommodations suitable for people with limited mobility.
CEO Sebastien Archambeaud says when the pandemic shut down
travel worldwide, the company used the slowdown as an opportunity to focus on a
B2B offering that was in the early stages of development.
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The “Accessibility Management Program” gives businesses,
both in travel and other industries, cloud-based accessibility data management
and assessment tools, marketing tools, accessibility certification and
education for staff about accessibility and disability topics.
“We want to help independent hotels or museum or whatever be
able to meet the needs of disabled guests and visitors,” he says.
“We do see a lot of businesses not trying to market or sell
to a disabled guest just because of fears of doing the wrong thing. So that
comes down to education, so your staff is comfortable to handle a guest in a
wheelchair or that is blind or with hearing disabilities. We want to help them assess
where the risks stand and also be able to have staff better prepared.”
Archambeaud says Handiscover’s B2B offering is already gaining
traction in Sweden and now the company will expand it across Europe and around
the world.
Says Nicklas Bergman, member of the EIC Fund Investment Committee: “The EIC fund equity financing will help the first community-based
holiday accommodation to scale up. This financial round will support the
acceleration of Handiscover B2B strategy that helps people with a disability to
identify accessible accommodation that suits their specific needs.”
Handiscover’s accommodation marketplace has more than 35,000
properties in nearly 100 countries that the company has verified as accessible.
Archambeaud says the company plans to go for a Series A
round of funding in 2022.