A startup using AI to make websites and apps more accessible to people with visual impairments and neurodivergent conditions has secured a £300,000 boost for its next stage of development.
BrowsAble has received backing through Innovate UK’s investor partnerships programme, which brings together grant funding and private investment to accelerate the development of pioneering UK businesses.
A £150,000 grant from Innovate UK is being matched by investment from Manchester-headquartered EHE Group through its AI Growth Fund, with support from EHE Venture Studio. EHE Group is an Innovate UK investor partner.
The funding will help take the BrowsAble product towards a planned market launch in 2027.
Peter Wrenshall, an Altrincham-based entrepreneur, founded BrowsAble after exploring ways to help a friend with a visual impairment. What began as a simple magnifying tool has evolved into a broader mission to improve web accessibility.
Working alongside EHE Venture Studio, the technology and advisory arm of EHE Group, Wrenshall has taken BrowsAble from an initial idea to an investment-ready technology business.
Its AI technology classifies and reorganises content across different websites without requiring each site to be configured individually.
The Innovate UK-backed project will integrate the technology into a beta browser extension for consumers and a website install script for businesses, giving BrowsAble two complementary routes to market.
The extension enables individuals to apply BrowsAble’s simplified layouts to any site they visit, while the install script enables businesses to deliver an accessible digital experience without the need for a download.
BrowsAble is designed to make navigating digital services easier for people who find this overwhelming, including those with visual impairments, dyslexia, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities and age-related cognitive decline. It will be free for users, with costs borne by website operators.
Wrenshall said: “Every website works differently. For people with visual or cognitive disabilities, this inconsistency creates daily barriers to digital independence.
“Our research found that people can abandon or avoid essential services such as banking and government websites, or require assistance with basic online tasks.
“These findings point to potential applications for BrowsAble across public services, including the NHS and government bodies, as well as ecommerce, financial services and other websites.
“We’re extremely grateful to Innovate UK and EHE Group for their support, which will help us build on the progress we’ve made and bring BrowsAble closer to market.”
EHE Venture Studio – the initials stand for Entrepreneurs Helping Entrepreneurs – supports startups with technical expertise, strategic advice and funding to help turn concepts into commercial products.
Its team has provided hands-on engineering, product development, commercial guidance and investment support, helping to validate the technology and secure funding for the next stage of the project.
The team includes Mark Hope, an experienced technology consultant with a background in digital design and delivery, who is working as a consultant and client partner alongside Wrenshall on the platform.
Work on the product, marketing, pricing models and branding is now under way in the next stage of the collaboration.
Wrenshall said: “EHE has been part of this journey from day one. The engineering team has helped us build and test the technology, while the strategic support has shaped our funding strategy.
“Having that combination of technical expertise and business guidance has been invaluable as we take BrowsAble forward.”
Simon Landi, EHE’s chief marketing officer and a member of the team working with BrowsAble, said: “BrowsAble is a great example of what we are seeking to achieve at EHE.
“Peter came to us with an idea, a genuine problem to solve and the commitment to make it happen.
“We’ve worked alongside him to develop and test the technology, shape the commercial opportunity and secure the funding to take the business forward.
“It’s exactly why we built EHE Venture Studio – to bring together technology, capital and hands-on commercial support to give ambitious founders a better chance of success.”