For five years, Be My Eyes has provided free, on-demand eyesight for anyone who needs it, anywhere in the world. The kindness, generosity, and joy of our volunteers has been no less than astounding – much more so than we ever could have imagined. But companies don’t run on small acts of kindness alone, which is why today we’re pleased to make a big announcement that ensures that Be My Eyes will continue to be there for users for years to come.

We’re sharing news today of our Series A investment round, led by St. Louis-based Cultivation Capital. This funding will allow the Be My Eyes team to continue our mission to make the world more accessible by expanding access to companies, growing and educating our community, and strengthening the service all around the globe.

Having great investors is just the first step. Be My Eyes thrives off of partnerships and community participation. Each time you tell a volunteer or a blind user to sign up for the app, we become stronger. And each time a company signs up as a Specialized Help provider, no matter what country they operate in, they help to keep this service free for the blind community worldwide.

Neil Barnett, our friend who runs the Disability Answer Desk over at Microsoft, said it pretty well:

“Be My Eyes is a great example of how technology can help bring communities together and empower people who are blind or with low vision. By working together with Be My Eyes, their incredible sighted volunteers, and the growing community of organizations participating in the Specialized Help program, we can help more people around the world live independent lives. We are honored to be part of this vibrant community and provide support for all of their customers through our Disability Answer Desk services.”

Many folks think of Be My Eyes as a charity or a nonprofit, but we’re just a company trying to make sure we make decisions that are good for everybody. We call that “purpose and profit.” At the end of the day, it’s Be My Eyes’ mission to make sure everybody wins – and that means always keeping the interests of our users at heart. We believe accessibility should be globally available - and you don’t charge people for that.