Creative Destruction Lab

creative destruction lab (cdl) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies. cdl’s mission is to enhance the commercialization of science for the betterment of humankind. the nine-month program employs an objectives-based mentoring process to enhance the performance of technical founders who learn from the insights of experienced entrepreneurs, with the goal of maximizing equity-value creation. the program combines 5 elements to help companies transition from science projects to scalable and financeable companies: - an emphasis on objective-setting, helping companies focus on what’s most important to their business - focused mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs who have founded, led, and sold significant tech companies - technical advice from world-leading scientists, engineers, and economists - hands-on support from top business students, who embed within the company to provide business support - opportunities to raise capital, including angels and vcs from europe and north america founded in 2012 by professor ajay agrawal at the university of thirteen sites across seven countries: seattle, oxford, paris, atlanta, estonia, madison, vancouver, calgary, montreal, berlin, melbourne and halifax. the successful commercialization of cutting-edge science and technology achieved through the program has led to the creation of over cad $28 billion in equity value. cdl alumni companies include north (waterloo), atomwise (san francisco), kyndi (palo alto), xanadu (toronto), benchsci (toronto), kheiron medical (london), and roadbotics (pittsburgh).