AssistiveWare

What AssistiveWare does

AssistiveWare B.V. is a privately held Dutch software developer founded in 2007 by David Niemeijer and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that builds Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) applications exclusively for Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS). The company's product portfolio centers on symbol-supported communication apps (Proloquo and the legacy Proloquo2Go), text-to-speech for literate AAC users (Proloquo4Text), PODD-based communication (simPODD, built under license from Gayle Porter), accessible input tools (Keeble, Keedogo Plus), visual storytelling (Pictello), and the subscription-based AssistiveWare Learning Service with Micalo, Estello, and the web-based Core Word Classroom. Technology components include customizable vocabulary layouts, motor-planning templates, adjustable grids, ExpressivePower tone selection, and natural-sounding children's voices developed through more than 2,500 hours of research.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time App Store purchases of individual apps, supplemented by 50% educational volume discounts for schools purchasing 20 or more copies through Apple School Manager, a free AAC Professional License program for qualifying speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, BCBAs, AT specialists, AAC coaches, and students, and subscription revenue from the AssistiveWare Learning Service. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led, with content marketing through an extensive blog and resource library, a newsletter reaching over 10,000 subscribers, active presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and participation in international AAC events such as Communication Matters 2026 (UK) and AASE 2026 (Australia).

AssistiveWare serves three primary customer segments: non-speaking and minimally-speaking individuals with conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, and ALS; educational institutions serving students with communication needs; and AAC professionals (SLPs, OTs, BCBAs, AT specialists) who evaluate and support AAC adoption. The company is privately held with no disclosed external institutional investment, no subsidiaries, and no recent M&A activity, operating as an independent going concern with 11–50 employees.

Name

AssistiveWare

Legal name

AssistiveWare B.V.

Website

https://assistiveware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AssistiveWare B.V. is a Dutch software developer that builds Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps for Apple platforms, serving non-speaking individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, and related conditions, along with the schools and speech-language pathologists who support them, via one-time App Store sales, educational volume licensing, and a learning service subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assistive Communication Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training (EDAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech (EDAFAKAB), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF), Assistive Technology & AAC for Young Children (EDACAFAL)

Keywords

• AAC software
• Speech-generating apps
• Assistive communication
• Accessible keyboards
• Text-to-speech apps

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. App Store Sales: Direct consumer sales through Apple App Store for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS applications including Proloquo, Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4Text, simPODD, Pictello, Keeble, and Keedogo Plus.
2. Educational Site Licensing: Volume licensing through Apple School Manager providing 50% discount for schools purchasing 20+ copies of one-time purchase apps.
3. AAC Professional Licensing: Free professional licensing program for eligible speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, BCBAs, AT specialists, AAC coaches, and students to evaluate and support informed decision-making.
4. AssistiveWare Learning Service: Classroom instruction tools subscription for educational settings providing teaching and learning capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AssistiveWare develops and sells Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software applications for Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS) that enable non-speaking and minimally-speaking individuals to communicate. The product portfolio includes symbol-based AAC apps (Proloquo, Proloquo2Go), text-to-speech AAC apps (Proloquo4Text), PODD-based AAC (simPODD), accessible keyboards (Keeble, Keedogo Plus), visual storytelling (Pictello), and classroom instruction tools (Micalo, Estello) under the AssistiveWare Learning Service subscription. Distribution occurs directly through the Apple App Store to consumers and through Apple School Manager for educational institutions at volume discounts.

Product overview

AssistiveWare is a portfolio of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) apps designed to help people who cannot rely on speaking communicate with the world. The product line includes multiple distinct apps: Proloquo (new symbol-supported AAC app with Proloquo Coach companion), Proloquo2Go (adaptable symbol-based AAC app), Proloquo4Text (text-to-speech AAC app for literate users), simPODD (PODD-based AAC app), Pictello (visual storytelling app), Keeble (accessible keyboard), Keedogo Plus (keyboard for early learners), plus the AssistiveWare Learning Service platform with Micalo and Estello classroom tools, and AssistiveWare Core Word Classroom. All products are designed for Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Proloquo: New symbol-supported AAC app for nonspeaking children and adults learning language through AAC
• Proloquo2Go
• Proloquo4Text
• simPODD
• Pictello
• Keeble
• Keedogo Plus
• AssistiveWare Learning Service
• Proloquo Coach

Products and services

• Proloquo New symbol-supported AAC app designed for nonspeaking children and adults learning language through AAC, featuring vast pre-planned vocabulary, intuitive organization, and unlimited team-sharing for communication growth.
• Proloquo2Go Adaptable symbol-based AAC app that supports users with motor or vision disabilities, offering customization, communication, and connection across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in multiple languages.
• Proloquo4Text Text-to-Speech AAC app for literate users seeking a more efficient communication solution, designed for social interactions as well as presentations, with word prediction, customizable appearance, and Apple Watch support.
• simPODD PODD-based AAC application providing electronic PODD books and printing capabilities for PODD users, designed for an optimal PODD experience with PODD intellectual property licensed from Gayle Porter.
• Pictello Visual storytelling app that makes it easy for people of all ages to create and share stories, developing literacy and social skills while creating and sharing stories.
• Keeble Accessible keyboard for people with physical or vision impairments, making typing in almost any iOS app easier and faster.
• Keedogo Plus Keyboard with word prediction designed for children and young students, with a simplified layout featuring essential keys to support early literacy development.
• AssistiveWare Learning Service (Micalo and Estello) Teaching and learning subscription service providing classroom instruction tools, including the Micalo teaching app and the Estello learning app designed for educational settings.
• AssistiveWare Core Word Classroom Web-based classroom tool for teaching core words, accessed at coreword.assistiveware.com, supporting the implementation of core word AAC strategies in educational settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Newsletter reaches 10,000+ AAC users, professionals, parents, and educators
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

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 capability3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FastSpring (Bright Market, LLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationFastSpring serves as the payment processor for license sales on the AssistiveWare website, handling transactions and payment processing for app purchases.
• Gayle Porter (PODD Intellectual Property)coreOthersGayle Porter holds the intellectual property rights to PODD digital page sets and PODD print books, which are licensed for use in the simPODD application.
• This Is Not About Me (Film)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssistiveWare is a proud supporting partner of the documentary film 'This Is Not About Me' featuring Jordyn Zimmerman, a non-speaking individual, as part of their autism acceptance and advocacy efforts.
• AbleNetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAbleNet specializes in guiding people through the insurance process for AAC apps and devices, working with speech-language pathologists regardless of their experience with speech devices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TobiiDynavox: TobiiDynavox is the largest dedicated AAC hardware and software provider (TD Snap, Communicator 5), serving the same non-speaking populations as AssistiveWare across clinical, education and home settings. They are the most direct competitor in symbol- and text-based AAC, with greater institutional reach and a broader multi-OS footprint.
• PRC-Saltillo (Prentke Romich Company): PRC-Saltillo builds AAC apps (LAMP Words for Life, TouchChat, ChatEditor) and dedicated speech-generating devices for the same autism, cerebral palsy and aphasia populations. Their TouchChat and LAMP products directly overlap with Proloquo2Go in symbol-based iOS AAC, and they bundle devices plus apps into institutional sales.
• CoughDrop: CoughDrop is a cloud-based, cross-platform AAC app targeting the same non-speaking user base as Proloquo2Go. It is sold via subscription to schools, families and clinicians, making it a direct competitor on AAC software business model and core functionality.
• Avaz (by Invention Labs): Avaz is an AAC app widely used in India and other markets for children with autism and cerebral palsy, with symbol-based communication and multilingual support. It competes directly with Proloquo/Proloquo2Go on pediatric symbol AAC and pricing.
• Attainment Company (GoTalk NOW): Attainment Company produces GoTalk NOW, an iPad-based AAC app for students with communication disabilities sold into special education programs. It overlaps directly with Proloquo2Go on symbol-based AAC for school-aged users and competes for the same school purchasing budgets.
• Smartbox Assistive Technology: Smartbox (Grid) builds AAC software and eye-gaze hardware for users with complex needs, including Grid 3 and Grid for iPad. They overlap with AssistiveWare on text- and symbol-based AAC apps and compete in UK/EU clinical and education channels.

Emerging players

• Crick Software (Clicker): Crick Software's Clicker and Clicker Communicator provide literacy and AAC support tools for special education, with strong adoption in primary schools. They overlap with AssistiveWare in K–12 special education but focus more broadly on literacy rather than AAC-specific communication.

Broad incumbents

• Sonova (Advanced Bionics): Sonova, through Advanced Bionics and other units, operates broadly in hearing and accessibility hardware/software for people with sensory disabilities. While not a direct symbol-AAC competitor, Sonova's hearing-care scale and clinical distribution channels make it a broader incumbent in communication accessibility adjacent to AssistiveWare's mission.

Others

• AbleNet: AbleNet is a U.S. assistive technology distributor and AAC funding specialist that partners with AssistiveWare to guide families through insurance and Medicaid funding for AAC apps. They are a channel/distribution peer rather than a competitor, enabling AssistiveWare's U.S. sales funnel.

Regional players

• Logan ProxTalker (AARC): ProxTalker provides the Logan AAC device and related AAC software aimed at school and clinical settings, primarily in North America. They are a smaller AAC specialist comparable to AssistiveWare in customer base but with a different hardware-first delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aSSIStiveWare
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AssistiveWare
• Facebookfacebook.com/AssistiveWare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/assistiveware
• Instagraminstagram.com/assistiveware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 AssistiveWare