Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a renowned seed-stage program designed to help massively scalable, science-based companies commercialize their innovations. Founded in 2012 at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, CDL operates on a distinctive no-fee, no-equity model, setting it apart from traditional accelerators or venture capital firms. Its core offering is a nine-month program focused on objective-setting, mentorship, and access to a robust network of experienced entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists. The program's strength lies in its ability to bring together founders with seasoned business leaders and world-leading scientists to clarify objectives, raise capital, and accelerate growth.

CDL has expanded significantly beyond its Toronto roots, establishing programs at leading universities worldwide, including Oxford, HEC Paris, Georgia Tech, and UBC, among others. This global footprint allows it to identify and support high-potential ventures across diverse sectors, from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to health, climate, and space. The program's success is evident in its impressive track record: since its inception, ventures that have participated in CDL have collectively created over $28 billion in equity value. This substantial figure underscores the efficacy of its mentorship-driven approach in fostering high-growth companies.

It is crucial to understand that Creative Destruction Lab itself does not directly invest capital into the ventures it supports, nor does it take equity. Instead, CDL acts as a powerful catalyst for investment by connecting founders with its extensive network of angel investors and venture capitalists. These external investors, who are part of the CDL ecosystem, are the ones who provide the funding. Over 1,000 ventures have successfully graduated from CDL programs, many of whom have gone on to raise significant capital from this network and beyond. Consequently, while CDL facilitates substantial capital flow, it does not have a "typical check size" of its own, as it is not a direct capital provider.