Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit program founded in 2012 at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, to support seed-stage companies rooted in scientific and technological research. It uses a goals-based framework that brings together early-stage founders with a network of experienced business leaders, investors and scientists. Operating across 13 sites in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia, each location partners with a leading academic institution to host 23 specialized streams ranging from advanced therapies and artificial intelligence to space and blockchain.
Rather than acting as a traditional venture capital firm, CDL facilitates investment by introducing ventures to mentors who often invest through their own funds and by co-investing alongside external investors in pre-seed and seed rounds of $100,000 to $1 million. Startups in the program benefit from regular progress reviews every eight weeks, support from graduate students on financial modeling and market research, and feedback from technical experts. CDL-backed companies have generated more than CAD$51 billion in collective equity value, reflecting its role in accelerating high-potential ventures without taking equity or charging fees.
With dedicated streams focused on environmental sustainability and energy innovations, CDL has supported companies working on next-generation battery solutions, hydrogen storage and renewable power systems. Participants include About:Energy, which develops software for virtual battery prototyping to reduce design time and costs, and Zen Energy, whose long-life batteries for electric vehicles and home storage aim to cut waste and improve affordability. Other ventures in the network address membrane technology for clean energy, efficient turbine retrofits and recycling methods for critical minerals, highlighting CDL’s commitment to funding applied research that can reduce carbon emissions and advance energy resilience.
