Rethinking digital accessibility as a strategic business move
What if innovation and AI could break barriers and make the digital world (truly) accessible to all? This is the mission behind the startup Accessi+, incubated at HEC Paris Incubateur and co-founded by Adina Teleuca. Discover her entrepreneurial journey, the innovative solutions Accessi+ is developing, and how the startup helps organizations to meet legal compliance, enhance user experience, and address CSR challenges.
When the corporate world lay the groundwork for entrepreneurship and social impact solutions
Adina Teleuca is a dynamic entrepreneur from Romania who moved to Paris three years ago to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions and launch her business in France. But before embarking on the entrepreneurial adventure, Adina sharpened her professional skills in different roles within corporations like Electronic Arts (EA Games), Schwarz Group, SNC-Lavalin, and global startups, where she worked in HR, Employer Branding, Press Relations, and Marketing. These experiences provided her with a deep understanding of company operations. Then followed a successful intrapreneurial experience at Kaufland (part of the German Schwarz Group), where she initiated a program called “ACCES” to integrate people with disabilities into the company and the labor market.
Drawing on her experience, Adina decided to launch Accessi+ in 2023, a startup committed to developing digital accessibility solutions with a strong social impact, that she created with her co-founder Ana Chivu. The idea for Accessi+ stemmed from feedback from potential client companies, with the mission of making the digital world more inclusive. Last year, she was selected to take part in the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship Program. This program, supported by the U.S. Department of State, offers an immersive experience in the U.S., broadening her exposure to the American business landscape. At 33, she is set to graduate this June from HEC Paris, where she is currently enrolled in the MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MSIE).
Digital Accessibility: A Social Imperative and a Strong Business Case
"When companies ignore digital accessibility - whether intentionally or not - they miss out on a significant part of the population: people with disabilities, impairments, and the elderly," explains Adina. “When it comes to the elderly, companies should not overlook the immense opportunities of the silver economy.”
The figures speak for themselves: According to the World Economic Forum, the global purchasing power of people with disabilities is estimated at over $13 trillion, including their relatives. Within the European Union alone, approximately 87 million people live with some form of disability, representing an annual spending capacity of over €2 trillion (source: European Disability Forum)
Seniors are the wealthiest age group, alongside professionals aged 45 to 64. A market poised for exponential growth, with the senior population increasing at 3.2% annually. It’s four times faster than the general population's growth rate of just 0.8%. Moreover, recent findings from the 2023 Hassell Inclusion study further underscore the business imperative: 33% of seniors abandon inaccessible shopping websites or applications outright, whilst 11% would spend more online if the process were easier. “It’s clear that digital accessibility is not just a social cause, it’s a strong business case.” asserts Adina.
Starting from June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act will come into force, requiring organizations with more than 10 employees or an annual turnover exceeding €2 million to comply with digital accessibility requirements, under the risk of penalties.
“Considering that over 16% of the global population lives with a severe disability (according to WHO), and less than 10% of digital content is currently accessible, our mission is to help transform the digital environment into one that is inclusive for all. ”
- Adina Teuleca, co-founder of Accessi+
By providing comprehensive audit, remediation, and compliance services, Accessi+ enables organizations to meet legal requirements but also tap into a massive market.
Digital Accessibility: How Accessi+ is Leading the Way
Built on the foundation of over eight years of expertise, Accessi+ sets itself apart by offering comprehensive, end-to-end solutions from legal compliance to smart solutions that enhance user experience online. Its technical expertise allowed the startup to go beyond offering services, and to develop their own tools.
Accessi+ offers a unique SaaS-based solution featuring a digital accessibility widget available in 28 languages. This innovative solution accommodates 21 disability profiles, including specific support for individuals with dyslexia, photosensitive epilepsy, cataracts, and Parkinson’s disease, plus a range of quick filters for bespoke user adjustments. To ensure operational excellence and scalability, Accessi+ has developed an AI-powered internal platform that automates a significant part of the accessibility audit process, which ensures high accuracy in identifying issues and greater efficiency.
However, the company has observed a growing trend in the B2B SaaS landscape: organisations increasingly seek tailored solutions and personalised support. "Right now, there’s a real saturation and fatigue when it comes to tools - employees are juggling on average 15 or more tools daily," notes Adina. "That's precisely why we've implemented automation internally to boost our productivity, whilst delivering clear, customised results to our clients, always complemented by a human, personalized approach."
The firm boasts a diverse clientele spanning e-commerce enterprises, banking institutions and public sector bodies across France and Europe. Currently, Accessi+ reports a significant uptick in enquiries from organizations seeking to ensure legal compliance ahead of the European Accessibility Act's (EU Accessibility Act) approaching deadline of 28 June 2025.
The company has established local partnerships with Allianz Partners, Docaposte, The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Job in Live, Luminess, and a French energy supplier Gaz de Bordeaux - providing comprehensive 360-degree accessibility strategies. Accessi+ also collaborates with nonprofit organizations, including APF France Handicap and EASPD, whose direct beneficiaries are people with disabilities.
Challenges, Perspectives and Ambitions of Accessi+
While artificial intelligence presents promising possibilities for digital accessibility, Adina cautions that “it's not a silver bullet”. The technology comes with significant caveats: inherent security risks, potential biases in training data, and interaction limitations that can inadvertently exclude certain user groups.
This nuanced understanding extends to compliance considerations: “Plug-and-play AI accessibility tools can be misleading. They typically fall short of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and French Accessibility Guidelines based on WCAG2 (RGAA) rigorous requirements, highlighting the need for manual testing and expert providers who genuinely understand the nuances of digital inclusion”, explains Adina.
Looking forward, Accessi+’ ambition is to become a global reference in digital accessibility. “Even if the field is still niche, the speed of technological evolution and the increasing reliance on digitalization by individuals and organizations means we must ensure that everyone can access the digital world,” she asserts.
The startup's immediate objectives focus on maintaining stable growth while facing current market challenges. Beyond this horizon, Accessi+ is already exploring the accessibility implications of emerging technologies, such as virtual reality and other immersive environments, positioning itself to address the new challenges these tech innovations will bring to the table.
“As digital experiences increasingly replace those in the physical world, ensuring equal access for everyone is no longer optional. That’s why our role is becoming more and more critical."
- Adina Teleuca
Adina’s experience at HEC Paris as an entrepreneur
Adina's entrepreneurial path took a significant turn when Accessi+ joined HEC Paris Incubateur, one of Europe's best startup incubators at Station F, in September 2024. This experience has profoundly shaped the company's development trajectory and provided valuable insights into the entrepreneurial process.
“Our experience at HEC Paris Incubateur showed us how important it is not only to set goals, but to stick to them,” Adina reflects. “Early-stage entrepreneurs are often overwhelmed with a wide range of tasks and constant testing, which can affect focus. Setting short and medium-term objectives - ones that are realistic and measurable - is key to keeping a clear direction and proving to yourself that you can carry a process from analysis to measurable results.”
The incubator environment at HEC Paris is providing not just theoretical guidance but practical frameworks for maintaining strategic coherence – a very important (if not vital) mantra for any startup founder navigating the chaotic early stages of business development.
“One thing that impressed me deeply was how the HEC Paris Incubateur staff actually rolled up their sleeves and spent an entire day working side-by-side with us to support our sales efforts. They genuinely acted like part of our team.”
But beyond strategic support and follow-up, HEC Paris Incubateur is also a unique and invaluable ecosystem: “Our mentors are people from the HEC Paris ecosystem, experienced professionals and experts that you wouldn’t normally have access to. It’s a privilege to be able to speak with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from top-tier companies”, admits Adina.
And what would the entrepreneurial experience at Station F be without the tiramisù from La Felicità, the now-famous Station F food court founded by Tygrane Seydoux, an HEC Alumni. Station F, the world's largest start-up campus, is definitely more than an incubator or workspace: “For those who choose the HEC Paris Incubateur on-site program, Station F is a dream space for any early-stage founder!”, asserts Adina.
About HEC Paris Incubateur
The HEC Paris Incubator is a participative, evolutive, à la carte startup support program, which mobilizes all the resources of the HEC Paris ecosystem around talented entrepreneurs. Its ambition is to enable entrepreneurs to achieve in 4 months the goals they would have reached alone in 1 year. Since its creation in 2007, the HEC Paris incubator has already supported over 900 companies: Leetchi, Point Vision, Garantme, Ovrsea, MyJobGlasses, Spacefill, etc...
About HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute
Top-4 European startups hub by the Financial Times/Sifted, the institute supports entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Through our Incubation & Acceleration, Deeptech, and Social Entrepreneurship centers, we assist students with innovative ideas, budding startups, rapidly scaling SMEs, transforming large enterprises, and social or environmental entrepreneurs to grow efficiently and with impact. Here, the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem of HEC Paris comes together to help you Make it Happen, Make it Big.