ABOUT US

We're 3D graphics specialists who believe that 3D IS ESSENTIAL TO TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION, especially for maintenance and repair operations. That's why we help manufacturers and software publishers create unique web-first experiences that leverage everything that 3D on the web has to offer.

At its core, Zea's value proposition is built around an open-source, high-performance 3D graphics engine designed specifically for 3D CAD models. We made the engine open-source and modular so that anyone can extend it to new applications. Together, and with our partners, we're in the background delivering the performance that sets the apps we power apart.

The tools we develop leverage high-performance WebGL2.0 rendering, WebXR, cloud computing, and the latest software technologies to enable connectivity for industry 4.0.

Our Vision

is to bring technical communication to life.

Our Mission

is to challenge the limits of web-based 3D to help companies and institutions over-deliver their service promise with powerful software that puts 3D at the center of technical communication.

Our Values

Values are qualities or standards of behavior that help to form principles

Honesty. We value honesty above all else. 
Accountability. We depend on each other.
Passion. We speak with passion and authority.
Drive. We do things differently.

 

Our Principles

principles are rules or beliefs governing behavior, they are based on values

Talk openly, give, and accept constructive criticism. We talk about our personal and corporate objectives, and where we are in relation to them.
Support each other. We challenge our limits for growth and support each other when taking on a new task outside of our comfort zone.
Be inquisitive with new problems. We look for a deeper understanding, do background research, formulate a hypothesis and test it out. This is how we continuously push ourselves, our partners, and our technology forward.

 

Our story

The idea to build Zea Engine was formed during a camping vacation in New Zealand. Back then, we kept getting hired to solve the same 3D-related problems and soon discovered that all the 3D visualization tools were designed for video games, not CAD. 

Academic research papers highlighted that creating a real-time rendering engine in the browser and rendering the visuals using the GPU would solve many of our client's problems. Needless to say that we figured out how to do it, and the results are extraordinary. 

Early validation came in 2018 through a pilot project in technical training for BRP that brought Philip and Michael together.

Today we're the provider of the world's most powerful web-based 3D visualization technology (CDRIN, 2021). We're also the only solution built specifically for CAD from the ground up. 

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Meet our team

Philip Taylor | CTO, Founder

Philip Taylor

CTO, Founder

Philip Taylor is the CTO and founder of Zea, a cloud platform for 3D visualization. With a diverse background covering documentary television production, film and video games, and also software development at large companies like Autodesk and Softimage, Phil has a unique skill set that makes him particularly versatile.

LinkedIn

Michael Smith | CEO

Michael Smith

CEO

Michael Smith is an advocate for using technology to increase productivity. From his early days as an automotive technician to managing training for BRP’s Powersport division, he has created a culture in the workplace that challenges the traditional ways of getting work done. Michael holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in operations management from the John Molson School of Business (JMSB). He is a thought leader in the Canadian transportation industry where he shares his passion with like minded groups. He is a guest speaker for the Canadian Association of Motive Power Educators (CAMPE) and the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT).

LinkedIn

Mauro Porras | Lead Infrastructure

Mauro Porras

Lead Infrastructure

Mauro brings with him 10 years of experience in producing and maintaining reliable web applications and is the mind behind Zea’s infrastructure. He is a TopTal qualified developer and has led agile teams in companies such as Globant and Netcentric, as well as working on projects for companies such as Autodesk.

Rob Haines | UX Designer

Rob Haines

UX Designer

Rob ensures that the Zea platform is beautiful, intuitive, and easy to use. Before joining Zea he worked as a designer on web apps and e-commerce sites, and started his career as a 3D/technical artist on video games and virtual worlds.

Hafsa Nasrin | Digital Marketing & SEO Specialist

Hafsa Nasrin

Formerly employee, Digital Marketing & SEO Specialist

Hafsa graduated with a Bachelor Of Arts (B.A) from the School of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia. She has attended over 200 professional case studies and projects at RRU related to Communication, where she received multiple recognitions for her skills and dedicated learning nature. She is inquisitive, loves SEO, Communication, and Marketing in everyday settings, and applies her knowledge and passion to shape our data-driven story-insights.

During her time with us, she doubled our website traffic and increased domain authority by 2. We wish her success as she looks to tackle new challenges in her career.

LinkedIn

Seiji Smith | Graphics Developer

Seiji Smith

Graphics Developer

Seiji graduated with a BSc. degree in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia. During his studies, he participated in team challenges where his team won multiple awards for their work including “Best Gameplay” and “Best Overall Game” as judged by UBC faculty.

He has a strong background in 3D animation, which lead him to develop his passion for Computer Graphics into a career at Zea as a Graphics Developer. He is also a part-time tinkerer and is listed as co-inventor on his latest patent-pending invention.