In 2016, we knew we were onto something.
While the world was buzzing about AI, quantum computing, and blockchain, we believed disability was the next big driver of innovation. Disability has been a hidden force behind much of the technology we use every day, and yet it remains one of the most underserved global markets. This presents an incredible opportunity for innovation and investment.
Let me explain.
The Untapped Market
Consider this, between 1.3 to 2 billion people globally live with some form of disability.
That’s about 16% of the world’s population - 1 in 6 people - and people with disabilities are often called the “largest global minority.”
Now, here are three points that illustrate just how significant this market is:
- People with disabilities, along with their friends and family, have a combined global spending power of around $13 trillion annually. That's over twice the size of the global e-commerce market.
- The absence of people with disabilities in the workforce results in a $2 trillion hole in global GDP.
- In low and middle-income countries, as few as 3% of people who need assistive technologies can access them.
Disability is something anyone can experience at any stage in life. In fact, disability is part of the human condition. The late disability rights advocate, Judith Heumann, coined the term “not yet disabled” to remind us all that we will likely experience disability at some point. By the time you’re over 60, there’s a 46% chance you’ll live with a disability.
Yet, when people create new technologies, accessibility is often an afterthought. A report from the World Economic Forum in 2022 revealed that only 4% of businesses focus on making offerings inclusive of people with disabilities.
We can’t afford to wait any longer.
A History of Innovation
When we launched Remarkable in 2016, we had a clear goal: to start investing in Disability Tech. At first, the journey was slow. We worked with startups through our accelerator program, helping shape their value propositions. Investors showed interest, but mostly in a way that felt patronising - praising us for our "inspiring work" without truly understanding the innovation potential.
What they missed is that disability has been a driving force for innovation for decades. Think about it - have you used speech-to-text, typed on a keyboard, or watched a video with captions recently? These innovations originated from the disability community. The keyboard? Invented to help a blind person write legible letters. Texting? Developed to enable communication between deaf people. Even podcasts and audiobooks were first created for blind readers.
The disability community has been at the forefront of innovation in everything from robotics to brain-computer interfaces. Companies like Neuralink and BrainGate are tapping into the brain for fast and efficient interfaces, starting with the disability community. Self-driving cars? These could revolutionise mobility for people with disabilities, and some of the earliest prototypes came from powered wheelchairs.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible.
Changing Lives Through Technology
Remarkable isn’t just about funding tech; it’s about creating real change in people’s lives. I think about Alper, a man from Turkey who needed a solar-powered wheelchair to access jobs and a temple he wanted to visit. We connected Alper with the University of Virginia, and they co-created a solar-powered wheelchair. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. Alper got his independence back, found a job, and changed his life.
But this was just one person. Now, we’re working to scale projects like these, supporting ideas from early stages to market-ready companies. We’ve invested in around 130 companies, creating jobs and improving the lives of over 300,000 people globally. But we’re only just getting started.
The Future We’re Building
- If you’re a Founder or Entrepreneur: Start including people with disabilities in your product feedback. It will help you make better products, reach more customers, and boost profits. Apple doesn’t make products with incredible accessibility just to be kind—they know there’s a profit in making their products usable for everyone.
- If you’re an Investor: Look at the disability tech space as the next big thing. Just like Serena Ventures, which champions underrepresented founders, we believe the disability tech market will be full of unicorns in the future.
- If you’re from a Corporate: Employ people with diverse experiences. It will make your organisation better and unlock innovation.
I want to close by sharing a personal story. My sister, Jo, is autistic, blind, and has an intellectual disability. Growing up with her showed me firsthand that the world wasn’t built for her, or people like her. Yet, Jo is incredible - she has perfect pitch and can name every track on hundreds of albums. Most people don’t see her strengths. But we can change that.
By including people with disabilities in our innovation processes, we won’t just be doing good - we’ll be creating better technology, unlocking talent, and tapping into a massive, underserved market. Tech is the future, and we have a responsibility to ensure it benefits everyone equally.
Will you join us on this journey?
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