Colare Raises $2.5 Million as Engineering Hiring Platform Launches

San Francisco-based Colare raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding and launched an engineering hiring platform Monday, Oct. 26, using role-specific simulations to help employers assess candidates before interviews.

Afore Capital, Garage Capital and Acadian Ventures participated in the round. Colare said it will use the funding to scale its platform.

The platform offers assessments in computer-aided design, printed circuit board design, thermal analysis, finite element analysis and systems problem-solving. Its assessment rubrics draw on the experience of senior engineers who have shipped hardware.

Hiring teams can review how candidates approach an assignment as well as their finished work. Esther Thomas, Colare’s co-founder and co-CEO, said, “Resumes are no longer indicators of how capable someone is.”

Colare estimates that screening and interviewing a mechanical, electrical or embedded engineer uses about 40 hours of senior engineers’ time, including reviews of take-home work. The estimate covers time spent by senior engineers during those hiring steps.

About half of Colare’s clients operate in aerospace and defense. Its customers range from startups to large aerospace manufacturers, the company said.