Built by engineers who lived the problem
In 2017, Jeremy Andrews was on the Model 3 team at Tesla, working on DFM for a plastic clip in the battery pack. Just getting that one part through review with a supplier took eight weeks—slowed down by timezone gaps, back-and-forth emails, and constant clarification of design intent. If it takes this long to align on a single component, he thought, what does that mean for an entire vehicle program?
At the same time, Adam Keating was helping design a breakthrough cancer treatment device at RefleXion Medical. Even on a project with life-saving potential, critical reviews were delayed by the same problems: siloed tools, scattered conversations, and decisions made without full context.
So, instead of accepting engineering roles at established companies, they risked it all to double down on fixing the core problem: To deliver life-changing products, engineering teams need to change how they work together and make decisions.
A software startup with mechanical engineering DNA
Today, CoLab is a team of engineers, designers, and product thinkers focused on fixing one of the toughest problems in product development: how engineering teams review, discuss, and decide on design work. Our team includes alumni of Rivian, Tesla, Northrop Grumman, Komatsu, and other market-leading manufacturing companies— who have lived the pain of trying to make critical design decisions with tools that weren’t built for it.
Our mission
We exist to help engineering teams deliver life-changing products to the world years sooner. CoLab started by making it easier for engineering teams to review and collaborate on designs. Now we’re building toward a future where AI and engineering teams work side-by-side to move from concept to validation in a single day.
Backed by the best so we can build for the best
Leadership team
Adam Keating is a mechanical engineer turned founder who started CoLab after realizing how much innovation is lost when engineers spend more time managing files and feedback than solving problems. At ExxonMobil and RefleXion Medical, he saw firsthand how these inefficiencies slow down even the most advanced teams. Adam co-founded CoLab to help organizations make better design decisions, faster—accelerating how complex products come to life.
Under his leadership, CoLab has grown into a global company of 150+ employees, partnering with industry leaders like Ford, GE Appliances, and Johnson Controls, and backed by top-tier investors including Insight Partners.
Jeremy Andrews is a mechanical engineer turned technologist who co-founded CoLab after seeing firsthand how slow and fragmented design collaboration can be. While working at Tesla and General Dynamics, he led DFM reviews that could take up to eight weeks on a single part—an experience that sparked his conviction that engineering teams needed a better way to make design decisions.
Since founding CoLab with Adam Keating, Jeremy has led the company’s product, engineering, security, and IT organizations—building a platform that customers love, reflected in standout NPS and best-in-class net revenue retention. His technical leadership continues to shape CoLab into the trusted collaboration platform for the world’s most advanced engineering teams.
Taylor Young has been part of CoLab’s journey from the earliest days, helping shape the company into what it is today. She built CoLab’s business development, marketing, and customer success functions from zero to one and has worked directly with hundreds of engineering teams across industries—from automotive to aerospace and defense.
A versatile business leader recognized among Atlantic Canada’s Top 30 Under 30, Taylor has hands-on experience defining the scope of some of CoLab’s most complex enterprise partnerships. She works closely with engineering executives to identify where to start solving company-wide challenges, turning strategic goals into pragmatic action plans that deliver results in the short term while driving toward long-term transformation.
MJ Smith brings a mix of manufacturing and SaaS experience to her role as CoLab’s CMO. She started her career as a hardware product manager, working directly with engineering teams across several manufacturing businesses within FTSE 100 Halma plc, where she became the youngest executive director of a Halma operating company at age 24.
At one point, her career plan was to become GM of a $50 million manufacturing plant—but she decided she wanted a harder marketing job instead.That curiosity led her agency-side, where she worked with over 50 venture-backed B2B software companies to build and scale demand generation programs—experience she now brings to CoLab’s growth.
With nearly three decades of experience in cybersecurity, IT, cloud, and software development—including over 15 years in leadership—Robert Percy brings deep expertise to protecting what matters most to CoLab’s customers: their product designs and intellectual property. As CIO, he led the company to achieve and maintain SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and TISAX AL3 certifications, ensuring the highest standards of security and trust.
Robert is also an active mentor and the lead organizer of BSides St. John’s, Newfoundland’s only security-focused conference and one of the longest running in North America.
Jake Kornreich brings over a decade of leadership in high-growth B2B SaaS to CoLab. Most recently CFO at Own Company (formerly OwnBackup), he helped scale the business to 900+ employees across seven countries, raised several hundred million in capital, and led key operations as the company grew—culminating in a $2.2B acquisition by Salesforce.
At CoLab, Jake leads finance with a disciplined, data-driven approach to planning, forecasting, and investment decisions. Drawing on cross-functional leadership across corporate development, HR, and business intelligence, he establishes the operating rigor and metrics that support confident execution as CoLab expands globally.
Taylor Jones brings more than 15 years of experience leading sales and business development teams in high-growth software companies. Before joining CoLab, she held sales and business development leadership roles at Salesforce and helped scale revenue at Zip, a leading intake-to-procure platform, from early growth through the scale-up phase.
Known for building high-performing teams and repeatable enterprise sales processes, Taylor has led organizations through rapid expansion and transformation. At CoLab, she oversees global sales, revenue operations, and solutions engineering.
Sydney Strader brings extensive experience building and leading Customer Success organizations at scaling SaaS companies. Before joining CoLab, she spent three years at InVision, rising from Customer Success Manager to Vice President as the company scaled to $100M in ARR. She then served as SVP of Customer Success at Catalyst Software, leading the team through the company’s successful acquisition.
At CoLab, Sydney leads the global Customer Success organization, helping enterprise engineering teams achieve measurable outcomes and lasting value from their investment in CoLab’s platform.
Rooted in Newfoundland, driven like Silicon Valley
CoLab was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland—and our foundation is shaped by the values of Atlantic Canada: humility, resilience, and a deep sense of community. But we pair those roots with the drive and ambition of Silicon Valley. We're not just building software—we’re aiming to change the way the world’s best engineering teams build physical products. That mindset has attracted teammates across Canada, the USA, and Europe, who share our mission and values.
