AcceleratorAI-firstEquity-freeby CDL

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Equity-free, objective-driven mentorship for science and AI companies across 13 sites.

Invests

$0 (mentors invest directly)

Takes

Equity-free

Length

9 months (5 sessions)

Where

Toronto

The deal

No fee and no equity for the program; CDL mentors and partner funds invest in companies they choose to back (typically $250K–$1M+).

CDL is a 9-month, equity-free program where founders set objectives every 8 weeks with a room of successful entrepreneurs and scientists who decide whether to keep working with them. Streams include AI, Compute, Quantum, Health and Climate; the mentors invest personally.

Invests: $0 (mentors invest directly)
Takes: Equity-free
Length: 9 months (5 sessions)
Format: Hybrid
Based in: Toronto, CA
Runs in: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Oxford, Paris, Berlin, Seattle, Atlanta, Melbourne
Stage: Pre-seed to seed, science-based
Focus: AI, compute, quantum, health, climate
Cohorts: One cohort a year per stream, starting in the fall
Acceptance: ~10–15%
Perks: Cloud credits; mentor capital

Notable alumni and portfolio

XanaduDeep GenomicsWaabi (founder mentor)

Apply ↗Website ↗Ask the room

Terms as published by the program; verified October 2026. Programs change their deal every year, the apply page is the source of truth.

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