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Creative Destruction Lab

also invests · investor profile

Toronto, CA · Founded 2012 · 4 known investors

Find your way into Creative Destruction Lab

974 people in our graph share verified history with the Creative Destruction Lab team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Greg Rudinunlockedknows Sonia Sennik · together at Creative Destruction Lab (overlapped)
×3knows the team · via Creative Destruction Lab
×3knows the team · via Harvard Business School
×2knows the team · via Intrepid Growth Partners
×2knows the team · via Smith School of Business at Queen's University
knows the team · via McMaster University

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a global startup program for seed-stage, science-based companies that pairs founders with experienced entrepreneurs, angel investors, economists, and scientists through an objectives-based mentoring process. Affiliated with the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, it operates across multiple university sites worldwide with streams in areas such as AI, quantum, climate, and fintech.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEdTechSector Agnostic

Founders & leadership

Creative Destruction Lab was founded in 2012 by Ajay Agrawal.

AAAjay Agrawal
Ajay Agrawalin𝕏Professor (founder of the CDL program)Ajay Agrawal is an economist and professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management who studies innovation economics and has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and two books on artificial intelligence; he founded Creative Destruction Lab, a global seed-stage program for science-based companies, and co-founded NEXT Canada and Sanctuary.
SSSonia Sennik
Sonia SennikinChief Executive OfficerChief Executive Officer at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Investors · 4

Beyond Earth VenturesWilmington · $500K – $2M
HEC Paris IncubatorParis
Scale AIMontreal
University System of Maryland Momentum FundBaltimore · $150K – $500K

Founder mafia

The Creative Destruction Lab mafia →

69 people who came through Creative Destruction Lab went on to found or lead other companies.

Christoph LengauerAssociateFounded Celsius Therapeutics +3Adrien CohenStartup Mentor - AI / Neuro / Climate Stream (Oxford / Toronto / Paris)Founded Lazada +1Stephen LakeMentor - Climate StreamFounded Jetson Home +1Myra ArshadVenture - Matter StreamFounded Fluidic +1Kevin HeyriesMentor AssociateFounded AbCellera +1Jason AramburuMentorFounded Applied Carbon +1Trevor Smith 🚀Mentor, Space StreamFounded Atomic-6 Funding +1Eduardo NeeterFounderFounded Atdc +1Dennis PilarinosMentorFounded Buddybuild +1Christophe JurczakAssociateFounded PasqalAlice ReimerSite Lead, CDL-RockiesFounded the51Judy FairburnFellow - Energy TransitionFounded the51

+ 57 more

In the news

Creative Destruction Lab Bets on New Space Startupsspaceambition.substack.com · Aug 2026Laurentian University - Laurentian University to Receive Funding for Research Advancing the Canadian Digital Core Libraryeducationnewscanada.com · Aug 2026The 19 Largest Global Startup Funding Rounds of July 2026 – AlleyWatchalleywatch.com · Aug 2026Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) — Eligibility, Funding & How to Apply | GrantCompassgrantcompass.ca · Mar 2026Feds to invest millions in startup accelerator to boost Canadian defence and dual-use companiesca.finance.yahoo.com · Feb 2026Creative Destruction Lab Review: Is CDL Worth It?ianlpaterson.com · Dec 2023

Frequently asked questions

What does Creative Destruction Lab do?
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a global startup program for seed-stage, science-based companies that pairs founders with experienced entrepreneurs, angel investors, economists, and scientists through an objectives-based mentoring process. Affiliated with the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, it operates across multiple university sites worldwide with streams in areas such as AI, quantum, climate, and fintech.
Who founded Creative Destruction Lab?
Creative Destruction Lab was founded by Ajay Agrawal in 2012.
Who are Creative Destruction Lab's investors?
Creative Destruction Lab's investors include Beyond Earth Ventures, HEC Paris Incubator, Scale AI, University System of Maryland Momentum Fund.
Where is Creative Destruction Lab headquartered?
Creative Destruction Lab is headquartered in Toronto, CA.