Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)
Creative Destruction Lab · Deep-tech mentorship program
VariesNo-fee, no-equity objectives-based mentorship with investors and scientists (no cash)
A nonprofit, objectives-based program for seed-stage science and tech companies, with AI, Compute, Quantum, Web3 and other streams across 17 sites worldwide. It charges no fee and takes no equity.
Key terms
- No fees and no equity taken
- Must be past the concept stage, with a prototype built or in progress
- Sweet spot is ventures planning a $500K–$5M seed round within 12 months
- You can apply to up to 5 sites/streams
- Mentor sessions every 8 weeks; can run alongside other accelerators
Eligibility
- Where
- Worldwide
- Stages
- pre-seed, seed
- Needs VC/accelerator backing
- No
- Needs partner referral code
- No
- Must be incorporated
- No
- AI focus required
- No
- Students / researchers
- Eligible
- Nonprofits
- Eligible
Also required
- Science/technology-based venture with at least a prototype
How to apply
Apply through the CDL Application Portal. Shortlists come out by mid-August, interviews run mid-to-late August, and admissions are decided in early September.
- Benefit
- in-kind
- Equity-free
- Yes
- Decision time
- —
- Credit validity
- —
- Deadline
- Annual cohort (2026/27 closed 2026-07-24; next intake expected to open ~spring 2027)
- Status
- Paused — next round TBA
Verified 2026-10-23 · source