Answer extracted from The Angel Next Door podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What recent investment milestone has Adaptation Ventures achieved with its first portfolio company?
Adaptation Ventures closed its first investment document this week in a company that combines software and hardware for people who are blind and low vision, using haptics and facial recognition to enable nonverbal communication. The portfolio company has already secured an agreement with Meta and is generating significant momentum in the accessibility tech space.
This inaugural investment marks a defining moment for the newly launched pre-seed fund, which was created specifically to address a glaring gap in venture capital's approach to disability tech. The milestone demonstrates that disability-focused founders and companies are attractive investment opportunities when given access to capital and investor networks willing to understand their markets and impact.
As detailed in the full conversation with Brittany Palmer on Adaptation Ventures, the portfolio company already has pre-seed momentum: it has $2 million in pipeline and $800,000 in deposits from interested customers and partners, signaling strong market validation before formal Series A conversations even begin.
Why this company, why this moment
The portfolio company's integration of hardware and software is not incidental—it reflects Adaptation Ventures' thesis that the hardest accessibility challenges often require both digital and physical solutions. By designing for users who are blind or low vision from the ground up, rather than retrofitting existing technology, the company demonstrates a principle that applies across the entire disability tech sector.
The Meta partnership signals something equally important: that mainstream technology companies are now actively seeking partnerships with disability-first builders. This shift reflects growing recognition that accessibility innovations often have universal appeal, making disability tech both a moral imperative and a sound commercial investment.
"We designed for the kind of hardest user in mind, and when it hits universal appeal, it just explodes."
Brittany Palmer — Co-Founder, Adaptation Ventures. Born with a bilateral below elbow limb difference, Palmer spent her career adapting to inaccessible environments before transitioning from environmental health and safety consulting to founding a disability tech company focused on equal access to travel. She now co-leads Adaptation Ventures, a pre-seed fund and investor community dedicated to funding founders and companies across disability, neurodivergence, accessibility, and aging. She also serves on the Advisory Board at Perkins School for the Blind Innovation Center.
The timing of this investment is particularly significant given the broader venture landscape. Only 1% of venture capital currently funds disability-related solutions, and founders with disabilities are 400 times less likely to raise funding than able-bodied counterparts, according to UK research. Adaptation Ventures is directly tackling this structural inequity by targeting 20 to 30 companies across its investment period, while building an investor community that includes accredited LPs with disabilities themselves.
See also
What is the investment check size range for Adaptation Ventures and how does it function?
Adaptation Ventures raises $150 to $250 million with approximately 20% held in reserve, primarily for pre-seed investments. LP minimums are structured at $36,000 over three years.
How does Adaptation Ventures differentiate itself by including people with disabilities as accredited LPs?
Adaptation Ventures is uniquely structured with accredited investors who have disabilities—including people who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing—creating a community-driven approach to disability tech investing.
What types of companies and sectors is Adaptation Ventures investing across in its pre-seed portfolio?
Adaptation Ventures is seeing a 50/50 or slightly hardware-weighted split between software and hardware companies across sectors including education, communication, and accessibility technology.