Colare builds simulation-based technical assessments for hiring hardware engineers. Instead of relying on resumes and early interviews, candidates solve real engineering problems from first principles in the kinds of tools they would use on the job, before anyone books an interview. Assessments cover mechanical (CAD, DFM, FEA), electrical (PCB, schematics), systems and manufacturing roles, among others. Hiring teams see results across their whole candidate pool, with ranked, per-skill results and integrity scores, so engineers only spend interview time on people who have already cleared the bar. Colare says it already works with customers ranging from seed-stage startups to multi-billion-dollar aerospace manufacturers; its published case studies include a U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturer and a publicly traded space company. Colare is a San Francisco company. Its $2.5M pre-seed was backed by Afore Capital, Garage Capital and Acadian Ventures, as reported by WSJ Pro Venture Capital. Esther Thomas (@esthxrtho), who is building Colare, posted the launch video on October 26, 2026.