AccessNow

What AccessNow does

AccessNow is a Toronto-based accessibility technology platform founded in 2015 by Maayan Ziv, operating a free consumer mobile application (iOS and Android) and a web-based interactive map (map.accessnow.com) that enable individuals with disabilities to discover, rate, and review the accessibility of restaurants, hotels, shops, attractions, transit, parks, and trails worldwide. The platform is community-driven, relying on crowdsourced reviews supplemented by AI models trained on diverse lived experiences and community feedback to map and verify accessible spaces across cities and countries.

The company's product ecosystem extends well beyond the core app and map into a suite of sub-brands and programs: AccessNow Verified (a verification program for accessible places), AccessOutdoors (outdoor accessibility), MapMissions (community mapping events), AccessFest (an annual free outdoor festival in Toronto celebrating accessibility, organized with the City of Toronto and TD Bank), and AccessStudio, an educational platform hosting the FUTURES leadership program for disabled and neurodivergent young adults aged 18-30. Across three cohort cycles (Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026), FUTURES has tracked 60 participants with measurable outcomes including a +89 mid-program NPS, 93% reporting greater ability to contribute to their communities, and 100% access-needs satisfaction.

AccessNow operates on a freemium consumer model with core mapping and discovery features available at no cost to users. Direct revenue generation is not publicly disclosed but appears to derive from a mix of corporate sponsorships (with TD Bank as Lead Sponsor of AccessFest and an expanding roster including Google, Uber, PwC, Toyota Mobility Foundation, YMCA, CIRA, and Pet Valu), government and non-profit grants (Canada Service Corps funds the FUTURES program), and prior strategic investments (a $2.7M Canadian Government grant in 2019 and a $250,000 Novartis investment in 2020). The company is founder-controlled, privately held, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with 11-50 employees, and has secured press coverage in Forbes, Wired, The New York Times, Vice, and AFAR Magazine.

Name

AccessNow

Legal name

AccessNow

Website

https://accessnow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AccessNow is a Toronto-based accessibility platform operating a free mobile app and web map where users worldwide discover, rate, and review accessible restaurants, hotels, shops, attractions, transit, and outdoor spaces, serving primarily people with disabilities via community-driven crowdsourced data.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessibility Information Platform

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Technology (AT) & Accessible Learning Tools (EDALAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Accessibility & Web/App Compliance (WCAG) (EDALAGAG)

Keywords

• Accessibility mapping
• Disability inclusion
• Community mapping
• Accessible places
• Accessibility information

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. App and Platform Services: AccessNow operates as a free platform for consumers to discover accessible places. The company likely generates revenue through partnerships with organizations, sponsorships, and government funding for accessibility initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AccessNow operates a global accessibility information platform built around a mobile app (iOS and Android) and a web-based interactive map. Users can search for places with specific accessibility features, contribute reviews, and discover accessible restaurants, hotels, shops, attractions, transit, parks, and trails worldwide. The platform is supplemented by community programs including AccessNow Verified, AccessOutdoors, MapMissions, AccessFest, and the AccessStudio/FUTURES leadership program for Disabled and neurodivergent young adults.

Product overview

AccessNow is a comprehensive accessibility platform consisting of a core mobile app and web map for discovering and reviewing accessible places worldwide, supplemented by a suite of programs including AccessNow Verified (verification program), AccessOutdoors (outdoor accessibility), MapMissions (community mapping events), and AccessFest (annual accessibility festival). The company also operates AccessStudio, a platform hosting educational initiatives like the FUTURES leadership program. The ecosystem connects technology (app/map), public programming (festivals/events), and community-driven data to identify accessibility barriers and drive change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AccessNow Verified: A program within AccessNow's suite of tools for verifying accessible places.
• AccessOutdoors
• MapMissions
• AccessFest
• AccessStudio

Products and services

• AccessNow App Mobile application (iOS and Android) that lets users discover accessible places worldwide, search for specific accessibility features, rate and review places, and contribute to the community of mappers. Designed for people with disabilities and their allies.
• AccessNow Map Web-based interactive map platform displaying accessibility information for places and spaces around the world, supporting search and discovery of accessible locations.
• AccessStudio Online educational platform hosting programs such as the FUTURES leadership development program for Disabled and neurodivergent young adults aged 18-30.
• FUTURES Leadership Program AccessNow's leadership program for Disabled and neurodivergent young adults aged 18-30, featuring a three-phase curriculum with Activation Projects. Tracked across three cohort cycles with measurable outcomes in disability knowledge, leadership, and social impact skills; funded by Canada Service Corps.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of FUTURES participants felt more able to contribute to communities that mattered to them
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2026MLSE partnered with AccessNow to power the Inclusive Soccer Experience at AccessFest, inviting attendees of all abilities to participate in adaptive sports activities alongside Soccability.
• City of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026City of Toronto is a key partner in organizing AccessFest, the annual free outdoor festival celebrating accessibility and inclusion. Mayor Olivia Chow has expressed support for the event as a reflection of Toronto's values of accessibility and creativity.
• TD Bank GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 May 2026TD Bank is the Lead Sponsor of AccessFest. Through this sponsorship, TD supports AccessNow's mission to remove barriers and advance disability inclusion, aligning with their belief that access is a shared responsibility.
• CBCmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 May 2026CBC is a returning partner for AccessFest, providing media support and coverage for the accessibility festival.
• Mirvish ProductionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessNow partnered with Mirvish Productions to support the first-ever Chilled Performance of & Juliet at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, promoting accessible theatre experiences.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, supporting the accessibility festival.
• UberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, contributing to the accessibility festival.
• PwCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, supporting the accessibility festival.
• MotionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning partner for AccessFest, providing support for the accessibility festival.
• National accessArts CentreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning partner for AccessFest, supporting accessibility and arts programming.
• The Daniels CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning partner for AccessFest, supporting the accessibility festival.
• Sunshine Therapy DogsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReturning partner for AccessFest, providing wellness programming with therapy dogs.
• CIRAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, supporting the accessibility festival.
• Pet ValuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, supporting the accessibility festival.
• Toyota Mobility FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, supporting accessibility and mobility initiatives.
• YMCAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew partner for AccessFest 2026, supporting the accessibility festival.
• SoccabilitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with MLSE to power the Inclusive Soccer Experience at AccessFest, providing adaptive sports programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AccessibleGO: AccessibleGO is a booking platform focused on accessible hotels, vacation rentals, and travel experiences for travelers with disabilities. It overlaps with AccessNow's hotel/travel accessibility discovery use case, though with a stronger booking-commerce angle.
• AXS Map: AXS Map is a community-driven mapping project that crowdsources accessibility reviews of public venues. Historically a directly comparable peer in the crowdsourced accessibility mapping space, it represents a similar product model and target audience.
• Wheelmap: Wheelmap is a crowdsourced online map for wheelchair-accessible places, founded by the German non-profit Sozialhelden. It is the most directly comparable peer to AccessNow in terms of core product (accessibility place mapping), community-driven data model, and free consumer app.
• Access Earth: Access Earth is a New Zealand–based accessibility rating app and platform that lets users find and review the accessibility of venues worldwide. It competes directly with AccessNow in the crowdsourced accessibility mapping category.

Broad incumbents

• Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor is a major travel and venue review platform that has begun surfacing accessibility information on hotel and attraction listings. As a broad incumbent in venue discovery, it overlaps with AccessNow's use case for accessible travel and attraction discovery.
• Apple Maps: Apple Maps has added accessibility attributes (wheelchair-accessible places, voice-over support) and benefits from deep iOS integration. As AccessNow's iOS app competes for the same disability-focused user, Apple Maps represents a broad incumbent threat.
• Yelp: Yelp is a dominant place-review platform that has introduced accessibility-related attributes and filters for businesses. While not disability-specialized, its massive review dataset and consumer traffic overlap with AccessNow's place-discovery use case.
• Google Maps: Google Maps has steadily expanded accessibility features (wheelchair-accessible transit, accessible place attributes, Street View indoor imagery) and dwarfs AccessNow in place coverage and user traffic. It is a broad incumbent whose general-purpose mapping product increasingly overlaps with AccessNow's core use case.

Others

• accessiBe: accessiBe is an AI-powered web accessibility compliance platform that helps websites meet WCAG and ADA standards. It is thematically adjacent — both companies sit at the intersection of AI and accessibility — but operates in digital/web accessibility rather than physical-place accessibility.

Emerging players

• Project Sidewalk: Project Sidewalk is a University of Washington research project that uses crowdsourcing and machine learning to map sidewalk accessibility. It overlaps with AccessNow's outdoor/mobility accessibility focus but is research-oriented rather than a commercial consumer platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/accessnowapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/accessnowapp
• Instagraminstagram.com/accessnowapp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AccessNow