Engineering is growing more complex—but design reviews still drag through email screenshots and PowerPoints.
In this episode of the Derby Mill Series we welcome Adam Keating, CEO & co-founder of CoLab, whose platform uses AI to accelerate and improve engineering design reviews. One client achieved a 40% reduction in the cost of poor quality in a single year.
With 160 employees and clients like Ford, Hyundai, GE, Johnson Controls and Lockheed Martin, CoLab is headquartered in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
This week we’re also proud to note that Intrepid Growth Partners, the Derby Mill Series’ parent firm, led a US$72 million Series C financing round in CoLab, marking a major step in scaling the company’s AI work for engineering.
So what would that scaling look like? What’s the future of AI and engineering? And how can machine learning improve generative design? These topics and more are explored in today’s episode by our hosts Ajay Agrawal, Rich Sutton, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Niamh Gavin, along with special guest Suzanne Gildert. They ask: what if AI didn’t just assist engineers, but fundamentally changed how design decisions are made—faster, smarter, with fewer errors?
GUESTS AND HOSTS
Adam Keating, CEO & co-founder
Suzanne Gildert, co-founder & CEO, Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies
Ajay Agrawal, co-founder and partner, Intrepid Growth Partners
Richard Sutton, senior advisor, Intrepid Growth Partners, 2024 Turing Award recipient, pioneer of reinforcement learning and professor, University of Alberta
Sendhil Mullainathan, senior advisor, Intrepid Growth Partners, MacArthur Genius grant recipient and professor, MIT
Niamh Gavin, senior advisor, Intrepid Growth Partners, Applied AI scientist, CEO, Emergent Platforms
LINKS
Intrepid leads the Series C investment in CoLab
Series C round press from Axios and The Globe and Mail
Adam Keating’s LinkedIn post announcing the Series C round, which features a cool video that provides some great context
CoLab website
Video explainer of what CoLab does
Video explainer of CoLab AutoReview
Mentioned in the episode: genetic algorithms to design radio antennas
Derby Mill series website
Derby Mill is created by the team at Intrepid Growth Partners
Rich Sutton’s home page. Follow Rich on X
Sendhil Mullainathan’s website. Follow Sendhil on X
Be sure to catch every episode of The Derby Mill Series by subscribing on the following platforms:
YouTube // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Substack
DISCUSSION POINTS
00:00 Cold open
01:29 Context for episode
02:59 About CoLab
05:25 Niamh: ML techniques
07:54 Suzanne: Training data
11:25 Rich: Language & application
18:30 Niamh: Open vs. closed foundations
22:52 CoLab customer base
24:34 Sendhil: ML similarity model
30:49 Protein model for parts
33:26 CoLab at the limit
39:50 Rich: Value functions
45:44 Feedback cycles
52:35 Adam Keating responds
56:05 Final remarks
NUGGETS
Why Are People in the Loop At All? (1901)
CoLab CEO and Co-founder Adam Keating talks about designing a waterbottle. MacArthur Genius Award recipient Sendhil Mullainathan responds with why are humans in the loop at all?
The Future of Collaborative Design (1902)
Why does Suzanne Gildert, CEO of Nirvanic, worry about the future of collaborative design?
Automotive Design and AI (1903)
Derby Mill host Ajay Agrawal and co-host Niamh Gavin debate the limitations of automotive design.
DISCLAIMER
The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as marketing, solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any securities or investments. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of Intrepid Growth Partners or its affiliates. Any discussion of specific companies, technologies, or industries is for illustrative purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Viewers are encouraged to consult with their own financial, legal, and tax advisors before making any investment decisions.
