About - The Company Lab (CO.LAB)

Chattanooga, TN Aerial Photo over downtown

Our History

Rooted in the community

CO.LAB began in 2009 as Create Here, a grassroots effort to bring new energy to Chattanooga’s Main Street by uplifting local makers, artists, and small businesses. The idea was simple but powerful: entrepreneurship could breathe life back into our city’s core and spark a culture of possibility.

That spark grew quickly. What started as a neighborhood initiative became The Company Lab (CO.LAB), with a mission to help founders not just start businesses, but scale them. As Chattanooga transformed into a hub for innovation, CO.LAB didn’t just keep pace; it matched the momentum with bold ambition, a wider reach, and programs built to scale big ideas.

Evolving for the Future

That evolution led us to where we are today: a nationally recognized accelerator focused on sustainable mobility, which we define as the future forward movement of people, goods, energy, and data. We connect startups to the resources they need to grow, whether that’s capital, mentors, or the opportunity to pilot breakthrough solutions.

What makes this work possible is Chattanooga itself. From the nation’s largest urban autonomous vehicle testbed to the first commercially available quantum network. In a city built for what’s next, CO.LAB connects founders to the people and resources that can actually help them grow.

Are you ready to accelerate? Apply to our cohort.

Explore our Accelerator

Join CO.LAB. Accelerate your idea.

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Why Chattanooga?

It’s an ecosystem invested in your success.

As one of the nation’s foremost place based entrepreneurial ecosystems, Chattanooga is home to the most logistics companies per square mile, the first city wide quantum computer network in the country, and the energy, support, and dedicated pipelines necessary to propel innovation and industry.

Location

The nation’s largest urban testbed for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Gig City

Partners

A network of partners like TVA, VW, EPB, Oak Ridge National Lab, and more all in one place.

Future Forward

Deep roots in freight, energy, EVs, and infrastructure innovation for the future.

A Letter from our CEO

Hey y’all,

When CO.LAB first launched, we set out to spark entrepreneurship in Chattanooga by supporting the people bold enough to build something new. That mission hasn’t changed but it’s grown.

Today, we’re a nationally recognized accelerator helping founders use emerging tech to transform how people, goods, energy, and data move through the world. We believe the most impactful innovation happens when great startups are matched with the right partners, the right city, and the right moment to grow.

Chattanooga is that city. And CO.LAB exists to make that growth happen.

Whether you’re a founder ready to scale, a corporate leader looking to innovate, or someone who just believes in building what’s next, we’re glad you’re here.

The momentum is real, and we’re just getting started.

Let’s build something that matters.

Tasia Malakasis Signature

The Future of Movement in the Heart of Scenic City