About Us

The Notate Story

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Notate was founded in 2012 by Joel Shafer, former CTO of Quickoffice. Our journey began as a highly secure note-taking solution for enterprises requiring the strictest security standards. By integrating seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook and Exchange, Notate initially eliminated the need for cloud storage by keeping all data fully contained within an organization’s secure network.

Over time, as digital workflows evolved, Notate grew into a robust collaboration platform widely adopted by government agencies, financial institutions, and legal firms around the globe. Our early partnership with BlackBerry propelled us into leading enterprises such as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and Citibank—reinforcing our reputation for reliability, security, and ease of use.

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Leadership

Joel Shafer, Founder & CEO

With over 25 years in mobile software, Joel Shafer brings deep expertise in creating and implementing innovative solutions across diverse sectors. As Notate’s Founder and CEO, he shapes the company’s strategic vision—ensuring top-notch security, robust engineering, and seamless integration. Prior to leading Notate, Joel served as CTO of Quickoffice, spearheading revolutionary mobile offerings. Today, he continues to drive development for secure digital document solutions, propelling Notate toward new market opportunities.

Oleg Lavrentyev, Head of Engineering

Oleg oversees Notate’s engineering initiatives, drawing on more than 15 years of experience in software development and project leadership. He has a track record of guiding innovative ideas from concept to launch—always with a keen eye on quality and efficiency. As the founder of Olearis, Oleg helped numerous businesses and startups bring impactful products to market. Outside of work, he stays on the pulse of emerging tech trends and enjoys spending time outdoors with his son.

Alex Makhtin, Product Design Lead

Bringing over 15 years of experience in Product Management, UX Design, and Business Analysis, Alex leads Notate’s product design vision. He has a passion for turning raw concepts into sleek, user-centric solutions that seamlessly blend functionality with intuitive design. With a proven knack for analytics, marketing, and product-market fit, Alex ensures that Notate continues to evolve in step with enterprise needs—delivering a high-caliber user experience that drives productivity and security.

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A Complete Secure Document Solution

Today, Notate is a comprehensive PDF editing and annotation suite designed for secure teamwork. Our platform supports real-time collaboration, file sharing, and document management—enabling teams to annotate, comment, redact, scan, and even create new documents without leaving the security of their enterprise environment. By integrating with leading Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions such as Microsoft Intune, Citrix XenMobile, Ivanti MobileIron, and BlackBerry UEM (as well as other MDMs via AppConfig), Notate ensures that organizations maintain full control over data access and distribution.

We also make it seamless to connect with multiple secure storage solutions—including ShareFile, OneDrive, BEMS, and even email attachments—creating a centralized hub for all your organization’s documents.

Trusted by Industry Leaders

Notate is currently deployed in over 80 major enterprises, with thousands of users relying on it to securely handle PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, and other file formats. Our self-funded U.S. company continues to expand its global footprint through partnerships with top resellers such as SHI, SoftwareOne, CDW, Insight, and Carahsoft. By consistently delivering a seamless user experience combined with uncompromising security, Notate has become the document collaboration platform of choice for government offices, law firms, and financial organizations worldwide.

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Roadmap & Innovation

We’re continually evolving Notate to stay ahead of enterprise needs. Here’s a glimpse of what’s on the horizon:

1. Real-Time Collaborative Editing

• On-Premise and Secure: Work together in real time on documents and notes—without compromising your organization’s data. Our on-premise approach ensures all edits and file activity remain under your control, adhering to your security protocols.

2. Enhanced Connectivity

• Secure Access to Windows File Shares: Seamlessly connect Notate to your corporate file shares through secure network tunnels, giving you the freedom to access and collaborate on documents anytime, anywhere—all while maintaining compliance with your internal security standards.

3. AI-Driven Insights

• Private Network Integration: We’re integrating AI capabilities directly into your on-premise environment. By keeping all data processing within your network, you can harness the power of AI without exposing sensitive information to external cloud services.

• Generative Writing & Corporate Knowledge Base: Enjoy tools for advanced text generation and the ability to query your organization’s knowledge base, making document creation and internal research faster and more intuitive.

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Our Commitment to You

At Notate, we are driven by innovation and dedicated to adapting our solutions to your unique enterprise workflows. We work hand-in-hand with our clients to ensure seamless integration, efficient processes, and airtight security. When you choose Notate, you’re choosing a partner committed to helping you reduce costs, boost productivity, and protect your data—every step of the way.

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Contact Us

Ready to transform your organization’s document management and collaboration processes?

Contact us today to learn how Notate can support your business.